Dragon Champion
by Gema J. Gall
Summary: YuGiOh&Pokemon Crossover. Kaiba ends up in the pokemon world to help restore the balance in Hoenn. Completely proKaiba fic. Features lots of dragons.
1. A Wish

Pokemon/Yu-Gi-Oh! Crossover  
  
Dragon Champion  
  
By: Gema J. Gall  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em.  
  
AN/ I wonder if 'gotta catch 'em all' applies to copyrights, too.  
  
AN2/ Just for y'all to know, there will be no Kaiba bashing. I don't know why you'd read this if you wanted to bash him anyways...... I happen to be a Kaiba fanatic. I love Kaiba! He's my boyfriend!  
  
The Duel Monster's champion was sorting through his deck, trying to think up a new strategy. Industrial Illusions had just released a new set of cards, and there was a lot of new dragons to chose from. That didn't include new magic and trap cards that anyone could use. Kaiba had to be ready for anything. He was determined to become the Duel Monster's champion again. He felt that the title was rightfully his.  
  
"Three Blue-Eyes, White Dragons," he muttered, counting his dragon cards. "Two Hyozanryu..... I guess I could get by with one of those. If I replace it with another Cloud Dragon.."  
  
He sighed and rubbed his head. Normally, he'd revamp his deck to relieve stress. But today, it seemed only to make it worse. It wasn't going as smoothly as it normally did. There seemed something seriously lacking from his deck.  
  
He tapped his fingers on the deck and just stared at the cards before him.  
  
"What do I want in my deck?" he asked himself. "Powerful dragons.. But I want more than that." He scooped up a handful of dragon cards. They all looked back at him with painted expressions.  
  
"They're so lifeless," he said, at length. "Even with my holograms, I can't change that."  
  
He grabbed his deck and shoved it in his pocket. He started pacing around the room restlessly. There was something bothering him, and he had no idea what that was. That only made him more frustrated.  
  
"I want to mold them," he muttered. "I want them to be free of Pegasus's stupid rules. I want them to extend beyond my machines."  
  
Seto realized he was ranting, but after a sleepless week, he didn't seem to care. "I want...I want," he muttered, flipping through the pictures again. "I want them to be real!"  
  
BOOM! CRASH! He got his wish.  
  
AN/ Sorry for a short first chapter. More to come. And, as always, please read, review, and enjoy! ( 


	2. Chosen

"Where am I?" groaned Kaiba as he stood up. He looked around at the strange surroundings. A thick grey fog laced the ground, distorting everything beyond it. Seto thought he was imagining small, flitting creatures through it. Soon he learned he wasn't imagining it.  
  
A pink kitten with an extreme long tail darted out of the fog and stopped a half a foot from his face. She hovered there in mid-air, glowing a faint shade of pink.  
  
"Mew!" she said, then burst into giggles.  
  
Kaiba looked around warily, like he was looking for an exit. But from his right another creature appeared. This one was green and had two tiny gossamer wings. Two antennas curled around his head, and it seemed to have something similar to hair.  
  
"Mew? Mewmewmewmew?" the first one asked it.  
  
The second creature nodded. "Celi! Celebi!"  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Kaiba, who was looking very nervous.  
  
"Celi-bi!" exclaimed the second.  
  
With that a third creature flew out of the fog. This one wore what looked like a large yellow hat. A similar colored cape floated around her back. But Seto couldn't help but wonder if they were part of this creature's anatomy. Her body was white, beyond that, save several ribbons on her hat.  
  
"Jira!" she exclaimed upon seeing the others. She turned and looked at Kaiba. "Jirachi?"  
  
"Celi! Celi-bi-beeee!"  
  
"Mewmew. Mew!"  
  
"What is going on here?!" demanded Kaiba. He knew it was probably useless to get information out of them, but since they were the only other living creatures...  
  
The cat like one looked him over for a second. Then she drifted over and put her tail across his forehead. A warm tingling sensation ran down his spine. Kaiba gasped and jerked back.  
  
"..Still, trusting a human...?" the second creature was saying. "There's enough trainers as is!"  
  
"It has to be him, though," argued the third. "The stars don't lie! We have to follow their course."  
  
"You talk?!" gasped Seto, who was getting more and more confused by the minute. "This has got to be a dream."  
  
"That's what we've been doing!" giggled the kitten "But now you can understand us."  
  
"This will only be temporary, right?" asked the green one.  
  
"Of course!" she answered.  
  
"What. Is. Going. On?" asked Kaiba, slowly.  
  
"The stars have aligned," answered the third. "They tell of danger coming to our world. But they also pointed to one who could save it. That's you, and that's why we brought you here."  
  
"What danger? Where is here? What do you expect me to do? Who, or what, are you? Why...?" Kaiba started rattling off a whole lot of questions.  
  
"I'm Mew!"  
  
"Celebi!"  
  
"Jirachi! And we're pokemon!"  
  
"Pokey-what?"  
  
"Pokemon!" exclaimed Mew. "We are creatures from this world!"  
  
"This world? Where have you taken me?" asked Seto, apprehensively.  
  
"This is the pokemon world!" answered Celebi. Kaiba rolled his eyes.  
  
"He doesn't understand," said Jirachi.  
  
"Then explain it!" encouraged Celebi.  
  
"Okay... Like we said, there is something coming that is going to threaten our world. We don't know what. But the stars did speak of one who would save it. That's you. And that is why we brought you here. So, now you have to get ready from this coming threat. We're not sure how much time you have to prepare, so use it wisely."  
  
"That made no sense whatsoever," complained Kaiba.  
  
"You have to figure it out on your own. Most trainers do..the decent ones anyways," said Mew.  
  
"Trainer?"  
  
"Of course, you are going to have to train pokemon, that's essential," said Jirachi. Kaiba looked completely baffled.  
  
"He still doesn't get it," sighed Celebi.  
  
"Here, I'll show him!" volunteered Mew. She darted around him and telepathically pulled his deck to herself.  
  
"That's mine!" protested Kaiba. He made a grab for it but Mew floated even higher.  
  
"See these," she held up the top monster cards in his deck. "You know what makes them strong and what makes them weak, right?"  
  
"Yes, now give them back!" growled Kaiba.  
  
"Well, now you are going to use that knowledge on pokemon. It isn't that different," said Mew.  
  
"So I am supposed to use some kind of magic on you?" asked Kaiba.  
  
"Not magic and not on us!" laughed Jirachi. "Training is completely physical."  
  
"And you could never handle us," added Celebi. "We are too powerful."  
  
"You, powerful?" asked Seto, skeptically.  
  
The three pokemon burst into laughter.  
  
"You should know better than to judge by appearances," said Mew.  
  
"Do you think we could have made a mistake?" asked Celebi.  
  
"No, it's him," affirmed Jirachi.  
  
Kaiba looked from one of them to another, then asked his next question, "How did you bring me here?"  
  
"It took all of us," said Celebi. "I manipulated time."  
  
"And me space," added Jirachi.  
  
"And I worked with living things, pure hearts," said Mew. "But that really isn't important. You have different things to worry about."  
  
"Yeah, we have to get him started on his quest," said Jirachi.  
  
"Quest?" asked Kaiba, with a grumpy look on his face.  
  
"Like we said, you have to train pokemon. So, it's time to get started!" said Mew.  
  
"And how do we do that?" asked Kaiba, trying to suspend the majority of his disbelief.  
  
"Well, first you need a pokemon," said Celebi.  
  
"So chose!" said Mew as she spread his deck before him.  
  
"What do you mean chose?" asked Kaiba, reaching for his cards.  
  
"Chose two of your monsters and we'll make them pokemon," said Celebi. "That'll get you started."  
  
"Are you sure it should be two?" asked Jirachi.  
  
"These are special circumstances," replied Celebi.  
  
"Do you mean you'll make two of my dragons live?" asked Kaiba, not so mad now. He looked at the pokemon with renewed wonder.  
  
"Yep!" chimed Jirachi. "So chose!"  
  
"My Blue-Eyes, White Dragon of course," Seto instantly answered.  
  
"Then I'll need this!" said Mew as she plucked one of the Blue-Eyes out of his hand. Kaiba gave her a hard glare.  
  
"And the other one?" asked Celebi.  
  
Seto looked down at his cards, thinking his next choice through. "I chose Hyozanryu."  
  
"We need the card, then," said Jirachi.  
  
Kaiba sighed and reluctantly handed over the card.  
  
"Let's do it!" chimed Mew.  
  
The two cards hovered between the three pokemon. Each pokemon began to glow. A second later the cards began to glow, too, matching the pokemon. It got brighter and brighter. It was so bright that Kaiba had to shield his eyes.  
  
When the light faded the cards floated back to Seto. He looked down. The picture was missing off of them.  
  
In the air between the pokemon two spheres had appeared. They were red on the top and white on the bottom.  
  
"Where are my dragons?" asked Kaiba.  
  
"Here!" said Mew as she put the spheres in his hands.  
  
Kaiba gave her a venomous look. "These aren't dragons."  
  
"They're inside!" exclaimed Jirachi as she burst into laughter.  
  
"Now you have to get started," said Celebi. "Bye!"  
  
"What is going on?!" demanded Kaiba. He could feel himself being dragged off somewhere. The grey fog was slowly growing dark. "What am I supposed to do?!"  
  
"You have to find that out on your own," said one of the glowing dots from far away. This one was Jirachi.  
  
"Good luck!" called Mew.  
  
"Celi-bi!" added Celebi.  
  
Their hold on letting him understand poke-speak dissolved. So did everything else, leaving nothing but blackness. 


	3. First Encounter

"Ugh...where am I now?" groaned Kaiba as he woke up. It was day. He was laying under a tree in the middle of a forest. Some birds called overhead, but Seto didn't recognize any of their calls. His head was throbbing slightly.  
  
"Hello? Anyone?" called Kaiba as he stood up. The forest went silent. No one else was around.  
  
Kaiba started checking himself over for injuries. There were none. His hands found his deck and poké-balls in his pocket. He pulled them out and flipped through them. Sure enough, the picture of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon was missing off of his first card, and Hyozanryu was gone as well. He rolled the poké-balls around his palm, not sure exactly what the three psychics meant when they said his dragons were in them. A low growl interrupted his thoughts. A black tiny dog-like creature jumped out of a bush and growled at him.  
  
"What is that thing?" Seto asked, even though there was no one to answer his question. The creature continued to growl. It looked ready to attack. However, it was so small Kaiba hardly saw it as a threat.  
  
Seto Kaiba ignored the tiny canine and slowly looked at the world around him. It all seemed normal; trees, sky, and ground. But there was something about it he couldn't place his finger on...something about it all that didn't seem right. That was besides the obvious points too, his rapid appearances places and the strange creatures he had seen floating. For a moment he wondered if all he was seeing was a dream brought on be stress. But it all seemed too real for that.  
  
The dog-like creature was growling still, and circling around Seto, sizing him up. Kaiba glared at it with his ice blue eyes. This whole situation was too bizarre to explain, and that was what bugged him. He hated not being able to explain everything, and he even hated it more when there was paranormal tendencies.  
  
The Poochyena was tired of waiting on the stranger to do something interesting. It charged straight at Kaiba. Kaiba watched it, unimpressed. As the pokémon was about to use Bite, Kaiba kicked it into the nearest tree.  
  
"No one threatens me," he glared at it.  
  
The Poochyena looked up at him, far from defeated. It stood up and howled one solid, piercing note. Seto looked at it, baffled. Things were getting stranger by the minute. They were about to get even stranger. The sound of something racing through the forest could be heard.  
  
As Kaiba watched, three more creatures like the first jumped out of the brush. They all glared and growled at him. While he still watched, unsure of what to make of the whole situation, another creature walked out and joined the smaller ones. This one was the same coloring, just bigger and meaner looking. The best Seto could compare them is that the first were pups and this was the adult. He began to get a sinking feeling that he was in over his head.  
  
They slowly spread out, until he was almost surrounded. The largest, the Mightyena, was giving the orders. Kaiba slowly backed up. He was beginning to get the idea that he was being surrounded by a strange pack of wolves, and he had every intention of getting out of it before things progressed any further.  
  
The Mightyena gave a signal and the Poochyena attacked. Kaiba gasped in surprise, turn around, and ran straight into the forest. He was cursing himself from even having to run. The pokémon followed.  
  
"This is insanity!" he growled as he tried to shake them.  
  
Then he had to stop short. The Mightyena had raced around and was directly in his path. He quickly looked around for an alternative route, but the Poochyena had blocked everything else. Something dangerous flashed in his eyes.  
  
The Mightyena continued to bark orders to the rest of the pack and the Poochyena closed in growling.  
  
FOOSH! From out of nowhere, a powerful flame struck the Poochyena. They started yelping. Seto looked around, completely surprised.  
  
SPLOOSH! A beam of water nailed the Mightyena and sent it and the rest of the pack running.  
  
"What the?!" gasped Kaiba as he looked around for the source. He found it quick enough.  
  
Standing to the side was a man in a white lab coat and khaki shorts. By his feet were two very strange creatures. One looked like an orange chick, the other was a large blue newt.  
  
"You should know better than heading into the forest," scolded the man. "That pack is very territorial."  
  
"And you are?"  
  
"Oh, how rude of me. My name is Prof. Birch. My lab is in Littleroot Town, about a mile from here." Kaiba's eyes narrowed. Absolutely none of this was adding up. "And you are?"  
  
"My name is Seto Kaiba."  
  
"Well, I don't know what brings you out here alone Seto, but please head back into town with me. My Torchic, Mudkip, and Treeko should be able to handle any problems," said Prof. Birch.  
  
"Call me Kaiba," said Kaiba, icily. "And what was that last part?"  
  
"My pokémon can handle anything that might attack us between here and there," repeated Prof. Birch.  
  
Kaiba just looked at him, down to the creatures at his feet in disbelief.  
  
"Have you never seen a Torchic or Mudkip before?" asked Prof. Birch.  
  
"No."  
  
"You must be from outside Hoenn then."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, this way," said Prof. Birch, as he motioned for Kaiba to follow him. Kaiba fell in step, namely because he had no idea what else to do. Prof. Birch was jabbering on about pokémon and trainers, but Kaiba had zoned him out and was looking at the surroundings.  
  
"Torchy!" sneezed Torchic, which snapped Kaiba out of his thoughts. The sneeze brought with it an Ember. Kaiba jumped back.  
  
"Did that thing just shoot fire?!"  
  
"Yes, Torchic is a fire type," said Prof. Birch without missing a breath in his talk. "Mudkip on the other hand is a water type. My last pokémon, Treeko, is a grass.." Kaiba had stopped paying attention at that point again and was busy staring at the two creatures by the professor's feet. There was no doubt about it, this was way too much.  
  
"And here we are, Littleroot Town," said Prof. Birch a few minutes later.  
  
Seto looked down on the small town. It seemed quaint and cozy, but it was far from the city he had left. It seemed normal enough on the other hand, so he followed the professor to the lab.  
  
"Well, I've been doing all the talking so far," said Prof. Birch as they entered the lab. A few assistants milled about, and various machines sat in all corners of the room. Several pokémon were there as well, but Seto was doing his best to ignore them. "So why don't you tell me a bit about yourself, Kaiba. Where are you from and what brings you all the way out here with no pokémon?"  
  
"Ummm..." stammered Kaiba. "Okay, but it's a long story and it doesn't make much sense..." 


	4. Beginnings

"Come in, sit down," said Prof. Birch to Seto Kaiba as he gestured to the nearest chair. The professor's lab was cozy, but a bit cluttered. Piles of paper were stacked on the tables and around the computers in the corner. But the windows were open and the sunlight was streaming in. The room was decorated with brightly, and it had a comfortable feel. Kaiba sat down on a computer chair, his blue eyes still taking everything in. He did not know what to make of the circumstances, but he was constantly searching for a logical explanation.  
  
"So," started Prof. Birch. "What were you doing in the middle of the forest with no pokémon? It's not smart to travel without one."  
  
"I'm not traveling," he answered. "I was just....brought here."  
  
"Brought here? How?" asked Prof. Birch. "Did you drive or something?"  
  
"No," answered Kaiba, a bit harshly. It came not from being mad but from being confused.  
  
"The how?"  
  
"You won't believe me if I told you."  
  
"What makes you says that?"  
  
"Because I don't believe it myself," sighed Seto. He rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Try me," suggested Prof. Birch. He had walked over and gotten himself a fresh mug of coffee from the nearby counter.  
  
"Okay, but don't say anything until I'm done," said Kaiba.  
  
"Okay, deal."  
  
"Fine. I was sitting at home, working at my desk. The next thing I know I'm in some weird place that was nothing but fog. These three strange creatures say that I'm needed here and that they are going to make my favorite dragons real," explained Kaiba. "I woke up in the forest, no idea where I'm at; no dragons, no answers. That mutt attacked me and you know the rest."  
  
"That's.....different," stammered Prof. Birch, after he had blinked several times. "Do you know what kind of creatures they were?"  
  
Kaiba paused a moment, trying to remember the unusual names. "Mew.....Celebi......Jirachi."  
  
Prof. Birch's eyes went as wide as dinner plates and his jaw dropped as far as it would go. He lost his grip on his coffee mug and it fell to the ground, shattering. Dark liquid spread across the floor, but he hardly seemed to care.  
  
"What is it?" snapped Kaiba, who was getting very annoyed with the whole situation.  
  
"You are joking right?" asked Prof. Birch.  
  
"No, I'm not."  
  
"You have to be, because that's impossible," said Prof. Birch. "Those pokémon are just myths, they probably don't even exist, and if they ever did they have long since become extinct."  
  
"That's what I saw," said Seto with gritted teeth.  
  
"You must have made a mistake....maybe you were dreaming or hit your head or something," said Prof. Birch. Now they were both groping for a logical answer. Kaiba glared at him and the professor shifted a bit under the intense gaze.  
  
"Well...." stammered Birch. "Whatever the reason is, you shouldn't be traveling without a pokémon." Kaiba continued his icy glare, but the professor ignored it. "You seem a bit old to be starting on a pokémon journey. Pretty much everyone starts when they're ten. How old are you now?"  
  
"Eighteen," answered Seto, simply. (AN/ I know there's a lot of ideas out there about his age, but in my fics, he's 18.)  
  
"They must do things differently where you're from," said Prof. Birch. "You did say you were outside of Hoenn after all. Wait! I know what you're doing here!"  
  
"You do?" asked Kaiba, skeptically.  
  
"Yup," he answered with a grin. "You've probably got tired of your old league, so you came to Hoenn to try something new. It's okay to admit it, lots of trainers have come here for that very reason." Kaiba didn't answer, his eyes just narrowed. Prof. Birch shifted again uncomfortably. "You came to the right place to start a Hoenn adventure. This lab happens to be the local headquarters for trainer registration. Kids from the nearby towns come here to get their trainer's license and first pokémon. I can help you get started on your quest right away."  
  
Kaiba blinked at him. He was starting to doubt Birch's intelligence by the minute, and his own questions were multiplying. The only reason he was staying were the words "quest" and "trainer" The three psychics he had met before used them, and they were the only connection he could find. Somehow they were the key to figuring out this world, and when he did that he'd be closer to getting home.  
  
"This way," gestured Prof. Birch. "I'll get you a poké-nav and a poké-dex. You probably want a Hoenn trainer's license too, the out-of-the-league ones sometimes don't work. I can also give you some poké-balls to get you started.  
  
Kaiba merely nodded and accepted the small machines the professor handed to him. He looked them over. They were fairly simple, and someone with as much experience as he had wouldn't have too much trouble figuring out how to use them. He turned to poké-balls over in his fingers. They were strange, and he didn't know what to do with the ones he already had. The professor was jabbering away on what Seto would need to do to restart in Hoenn.  
  
"I know you came to Hoenn to start over from scratch," Prof. Birch was saying. "But most trainers do bring at least one of their old pokémon. Well, since you don't have any, you can choose either Torchic, Mudkip, or Treeko."  
  
Kaiba glanced down at the small pokémon, clearly not impressed. It would be hard for even a dragon to impress him at that size. And, deep down, he was still wary about the elemental abilities they had displayed.  
  
"No thanks," replied Kaiba.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I said 'no thanks.'"  
  
"You can't be serious about starting a pokémon journey with no pokémon!"  
  
"I can handle it," said Kaiba with another glare. "I always handle everything on my own. I don't need help from anyone."  
  
Prof. Birch looked him over once, not exactly sure what to make of him. "......Oh! You mean you want to catch your first pokémon on your own! Why didn't you simply say that? I can understand that choice. It will be difficult, but you're old enough to know about that. I know how some trainers just love a challenge, and I guess I can't stop you. My number has been programmed into the poké-nav, so if you ever need any help, or are having seconds thoughts, call me."  
  
"I doubt that will happen," replied Seto in monotone.  
  
"It's going to be harder than you're thinking to restart in Hoenn," cautioned Prof. Birch. "Feel free to ask any of us here in the lab for advice. I'm sure you'll learn a lot."  
  
"Of course," replied Seto in his usual emotionless tone, which made it impossible to tell if he was being sincere or sarcastic.  
  
At that moment a younger boy with white hair ran in. He had on a red and black jogging outfit, complete with headband. He walked right up to Prof. Birch. "Hello, grandpa."  
  
"Hello, Brendan," greeted Prof. Birch. He turned back to Seto Kaiba. "My grandson and I have some field research to do now, so I have to go."  
  
"I understand. I'm leaving too," replied Kaiba in the exact same tone he had used before.  
  
"Be careful," cautioned Prof. Birch one last time before he hurried out the door with Brendan.  
  
Kaiba paused a moment to pocket the machines he had been given, then he too headed for the door. Outside, he once again looked around the small quiet town of Littleroot. He had no idea what to do. But before he had too much time to worry about that, and before he had taken more than a dozen steps away from the lab two of Prof. Birch's assistances who were working outside caught his eyes. He took a few steps closer and watched them.  
  
The first had several poké-balls. As Seto watched, the assistant tapped the button and the ball enlarged. Then, much to Kaiba's surprise, he threw the poké-ball. It burst open with a flash of light. That light condensed into a living pokémon! This one was small with stripes that alternated between light brown and dark brown. The pokémon went up to the assistant and rubbed against his leg. The assistant stroked it.  
  
Kaiba pulled out one of his poké-balls. He examined it carefully. "So, is that how it works...."  
  
Not wanting to be caught looking like he didn't know what he was doing, Kaiba turned and walked back into the forest nonchalantly. Once he was sure he was out of sight of the town and safe from wanderers, he pulled out a random poké-ball.  
  
"Okay, let's see how this works," he muttered. He tapped the button on the front and it enlarged in his hand. He looked it over, longing to take it apart and examine it, but he had something else to do with it first.  
  
"Open," he said as he tossed it. Half to his own surprise, it did open. But it fell to the ground with no spectacular light show. He walked over and picked it up curiously. Nothing had happened.  
  
"Hmmm," muttered Kaiba, thinking out-loud. "Before that man managed to call a creature out of it....Hmmm, so somehow, these pokémon..." That word seemed strange to say. "....somehow they can get inside these poké-balls. Strange...I wonder what mechanism allows that to happen." His hand was on his mini tool kit before he knew it. But Seto was not yet ready to take one apart before he better understood how they functioned. "It's empty.... I guess....that it is expected that somehow I can get a pokémon inside of this. This is one strange place...." He fingered the poké-ball more and it closed. Then he hit the button again and it shrunk.  
  
Seto Kaiba went to put it back into his pocket. As he did, his hands touched all the poké-balls in it. He countered eight, then he remembered the two that Mew, Jirachi, and Celebi had given him. A smile began to crawl up his face as he figured that his Blue-Eyes, White Dragon might be actually living in his pocket at that very moment.  
  
He quickly pulled out all eight poké-balls and held them in an open palm. They were all identical in looks, and Seto momentarily cursed himself for mixing them up. But he quickly noticed that two were heavier. He pocketed the rest and looked at the two containing his dragons. He selected one of them and tapped the button, making it larger.  
  
"Come out, my Blue-Eyes!" he exclaimed as he threw it. This time there was a large flash of light, which materialized into his pride and joy with a loud roar.  
  
Seto Kaiba's eyes went wide with amazement and wonder as his Blue-Eyes, White Dragon stood in front of him, flesh and blood, not a hologram. He was so stunned, he didn't seem quite sure what to do. He slowly raised his right hand and touched his dragon's side. The Blue-Eyes looked at his, blue- eyes met blue eyes.  
  
"I don't believe it," said Seto. "This is amazing!" The dragon growled slightly in response. Kaiba continued to look at it with wide eyes. This was his greatest impossible dream, and now it was real. There was only one thing missing. "I wish Mokuba was here too...."  
  
That thought put his mind back on track. Kaiba reminded himself that he needed to find a way back to his own world. As interesting as this was, the lack of sense that it made had its downfalls. But the appearance of his favorite dragon had calmed his urgency to hurry out of there as fast as he could.  
  
"I guess we had better go," Seto said to his dragon. "We aren't going to find anything out if we stay here."  
  
"EARGH!" growled the Blue-Eyes in agreement.  
  
Seto did a slow circle, trying to figure out what he should do and which was to go. The Blue-Eyes, White Dragon nudged him north.  
  
"It's as good as any other option," agreed Kaiba and he started walking, one hand on his dragon. 


	5. First Night

Seto Kaiba had spent most of the day walking with his Blue-Eyes White Dragon and nothing extraordinary had happened. That was probably because the dragon scared all pokémon in the region. It was something new and dangerous, and the wildlife was all being cautious. Not that Kaiba minded. He was in no hurry to battle; he was focused on returning to his own world. He had not quite grasped the concept of being a pokémon trainer. In fact, he was pretty much clueless to how things worked in this world. But then again, anyone would be after finding his or her self in a world that resembled nothing familiar.  
  
The forest was pretty much empty of trainers. So the day passed without event, although the events of the morning were more than enough excitement for one day. The sun was beginning to drop in the sky and the wind was getting cooler, signs that night was soon coming. Kaiba knew he'd have to stop soon. He could see no signs of civilization, so he knew he'd have to camp. That was something he was not prepared for, after all, he was just thrown into the situation.  
  
"Looks like we're going to camp out," Kaiba said to his Blue-Eyes, since the dragon was the only one with ears. "Does this work for you?" He gestured to a small, dry clearing they had come to.  
  
"Reagh," the Blue-Eyes growled its approval.  
  
Kaiba made himself comfortable in the clearing and started to examine the tiny machines Prof. Birch had given him, something he had wanted to do all day. He decided to start with the poké-dex. He set his poké-balls and the poké-nav on the rock beside him. He opened the dex, surveying the various buttons on it. The dex activate as Kaiba pointed it, unintentionally, at the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.  
  
"No data," a mechanical voice said.  
  
"Huh?" asked Kaiba, looking it over again. "An infer-red scanner. It must be trying to identify my Blue-Eyes." He smiled. "This world has seen nothing like you before." He patted his dragon on the neck.  
  
Kaiba turned the dex over and pulled out his pocket tool kit. He was about to take it apart when it sensed another pokémon.  
  
"Zigzagoon, the Tiny Raccoon pokémon," said the poké-dex. "The hair on Zigzagoon's back is bristly. It rubs the hard back hair against trees to leave its territorial markings. This pokémon may play dead to fool foes in battle."  
  
"Zigzagoon?" echoed Kaiba, looking up. Sure enough, a Zigzagoon sat at the end of the clearing, watching the human and the dragon, seeming not to care. It watched them both with beady brown eyes.  
  
"Ziz?" it said, tilting its bi-colored head to the side.  
  
"I've seen you before," said Kaiba. "One of the people at the lab hand another creature of your specie."  
  
"Ziga?"  
  
Kaiba glared at it a moment before returning to examine the dex. He dismissed Zigzagoon as easily as he would a Kuriboh.  
  
Once back, Kaiba resumed his examination of the poké-dex. "This is some kind of portable encyclopedia about these pokémon," he concluded. He opened the back of it and began to examine the wiring and chips inside, muttering to himself. "Very basic wiring, but still effective. But at least the chips have a lot of memory, and it looks like they use every bit of it. The scanner is the most impressive. But I could do better in my sleep. If I replace the main drive with one of my own...Of course I'd need my computer to transfer the old data...I could triple the memory capacity. I could even make this into an mp3 player, it has all the basic components."  
  
While he was talking, Zigzagoon walked up to him, looking at Kaiba with bright eyes. The Blue-Eyes, White Dragon shifted and watched the small pokémon. When the raccoon pokémon was about halfway into the clearing, the Blue-Eyes got bored and flicked it with its tail. The Zigzagoon flew back across the meadow and hit a tree.  
  
The poké-dex cracked static once, then activate, still functional though it was being toyed with. "Tail Whip, this move lowers opponent's defense."  
  
"Huh?" asked Seto, looking up. The Zigzagoon raced away as fast as its short legs would carry it. The Blue-Eyes looked bored as it watched the pokémon leave. Kaiba turned his attention back to the dex. "I see, a second encyclopedia has been programmed in here." He put the pieces back into their places and closed the back. Then he turned it over and hit a button on the front.  
  
"Absorb," said the dex, "The pokémon recovers half of the amount of damage that the opposing pokémon receives from this attack."  
  
"Attacks?" echoed Kaiba. "Appears there's more to this than White Lightning..." He was half tempted to start the attack encyclopedia up, but his curiosity for mechanics overrode it. He set the dex down and picked up a poké-ball.  
  
Kaiba had the poké-ball opened even quicker than he did the poké-dex. "Hmm, a combination of electric impulses and mirror technology. I wonder why I never thought of something like this. And the lens is two-way...Than means that pokémon can go in and out through it, and this device transforms organisms into raw energy, and vice versa. It's amazing they manage to put all of this into such a small device."  
  
Slow, rhythmic breathing from the largest creature in the area showed that Kaiba was the only one who cared about technology. The Blue-Eyes was sleeping peacefully, not even concerned that something might attack it.  
  
"Examining is good, but it is better to see it in action," Seto said. He stood up, the poké-ball in his hand. "Now, this device has a simple scanner in it, so it should work just by pointing..." He pointed the eye of the poké-ball at his dragon. There was a flash of red light and his Blue- Eyes returned to its poké-ball.  
  
Kaiba smiled, "With a mind like my own, nothing here should be too much of a problem. I've got this place figured out." He leaned back and went to sleep with a smug smirk on his face  
  
He still had no clue.  
  
Dream  
  
Seto Kaiba was dreaming that he was walking down a path, but that path was unclear. The scenery outside the path was covered in fog and shadow. But only one thing seemed to matter. Kaiba knew he must continue, no matter what.  
  
"Where are you going?" a female voice asked. Kaiba could see no one, but the person sounded close. She also sounded very familiar, but he could not find a name.  
  
"I'm going," he answered. "Just...going."  
  
"But you do not know where?" asked another voice. This voice was also female and again it sounded very familiar. But the name of the person would not come to Seto. He did not answer.  
  
"You have things to do," stated the first.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Do you know what you have to do?" asked the second.  
  
"...no."  
  
"You need help," said the first.  
  
"No I don't!" Kaiba snapped. "I work alone! Now, I have something important to do, so go away!"  
  
"You have no clue," sighed the first.  
  
"I can handle it," said Kaiba with gritted teeth. He tried to walk faster, but the voices seemed to follow.  
  
"You will need help," said the second. "You can deny it all you want, but you will need it." The voice paused a moment before continuing. "You will get help whether you want it or not."  
  
"Save it! I've gotten enough of those speeches from Téa!" exclaimed Kaiba, getting ticked.  
  
"We will help you," said the first.  
  
End Dream  
  
"Baalllll!" exclaimed something early the next morning. Kaiba groaned, and whatever it was jumped off of his chest.  
  
"Baltoy!" the pokémon exclaimed.  
  
Kaiba shook his head, fully waking up. He looked at the creature that had been standing on him. It was brown all the way around. It had a small, round head and two tube-like arms. Its main body was shaped like an upside down cone.  
  
"Now what?" he groaned.  
  
"Baltoy!" exclaimed the pokémon, jumping on him again. "Toy! Toy! Toy!"  
  
Seto Kaiba looked at it, rolling his eyes. This pokémon had way too much energy for early morning. He quickly checked his pockets, making sure everything was still there. It was. He stretched once, fully waking himself and planned on leaving immediately.  
  
"Toy-bal," agreed Baltoy, jumping up to catch Kaiba's attention.  
  
"What do you want?!" demanded Seto, irked.  
  
"Baltoy? Where are you!?" called a lady.  
  
"Baltoy!" the pokémon exclaimed back.  
  
"Baltoy! There you are!" the lady exclaimed as she walked into the clearing. She had long pure black hair and grey-blue eyes. She wore a simply long but sleeveless white dress and golden armlets. Kaiba's eyes went wide when he saw her.  
  
"Ishizu?!" he gasped.  
  
"Huh?" she asked. Then she looked at her pokémon. "Baltoy! How dare you run off and worry me again?" she scolded it gently.  
  
"Baltoy...." said her pokémon, bashfully.  
  
"What am I going to do with you?" she asked it.  
  
"Baltoy?" asked her pokémon, looking up at her with puppy eyes.  
  
The lady giggled. "I just can't stay mad at you."  
  
"Ishizu?" asked Kaiba again, who could not stop gawking at how much she looked like the Egyptian woman from his own world.  
  
"You must be mistaking me for someone else," she answered. "Sorry Baltoy bothered you, it just gets carried away some time."  
  
Seto Kaiba hardly seemed to hear her last comment, "You look just like her."  
  
"Well, I know I've never met you before in my life," she replied. "My name is Isis."  
  
"Seto Kaiba," he answered.  
  
"You must be a pokémon trainer," she commented, looking at the various electronics he left around the clearing. "Are you on your way to Oldale Town?"  
  
"Um...sure," he answered. Actually, he had no idea where he was heading, so one place was as good as the next.  
  
"So am I," said Isis. "I just came to the Hoenn league from the Johto league. Where are you from?"  
  
"Domino City," Kaiba answered.  
  
"I've never heard of it," Isis replied.  
  
"Somehow, I knew you wouldn't," muttered Kaiba.  
  
"So, why did you come to Hoenn?" she asked, sitting down with Baltoy in her lap. "I wanted to find new pokémon."  
  
"Three freaks brought me here," Kaiba replied.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Isis.  
  
"I was sitting at home, minding my own business when three pokémon dragged me here."  
  
"What pokémon?"  
  
"Mew, Jirachi, and Celebi."  
  
Isis blinked for a moment, then started laughing, "That's funny!"  
  
"I'm being serious."  
  
She merely laughed harder. It was a while before she could stop. "You don't seem to be the type to have a sense of humor, but that's one of the funniest things I've ever heard. Now, tell me why you really came here."  
  
Kaiba groaned. He could see a pattern developing. So he sighed and echoed Prof. Birch's conclusion, "I got bored where I was at so came over here for a fresh start and some new challenges."  
  
"I thought as much," said Isis. "How long have you been in this league?"  
  
"About one day. And you?"  
  
"A little over a month," Isis answered. "Do you want to travel to Oldale Town with me? Safety in numbers, you know."  
  
"I don't mind," replied Kaiba, considering he had no idea where Oldale Town was. He also knew he could learn a lot by watching someone from this planet.  
  
"We better get going then," said Isis. "We can make it there by sunset if we start now."  
  
"Fine by me," agreed Kaiba and they started walking. 


	6. Gangs

"There it is, Oldale Town," said Isis as she gestured to the small town in front of them.

The sky was streaked with orange and pink as the sun set. The forest opened just enough for the few buildings that made up the town. The trees seemed to crowd every aspect of the town. It might as well have been a large clearing that people had decided to live in. The tall dome of the Poké-Center was the only obvious landmark.

Isis looked at Kaiba, expecting some kind of response.

"…It's smaller than I thought," he said at length.

"It's better than sleeping on the ground," replied Isis. "Come on, let's get to the Poké-Center before it closes."

Kaiba gave a small nod and Isis started walking down the small incline they had been standing on. He let her take the lead as they headed to the Poké-Center. Seto Kaiba was still learning about this world through watching. Isis had dismissed him as the strong, silent type.

The sliding glass doors of the Poké-Center opened automatically as they got close.

"Well, it's a lot smaller than the ones in the big city," commented Isis. "But what else can we expect? It looks like they have everything we'll need for the night, plus it's not to crowded, so that's a good thing."

"Right…" agreed Kaiba.

"Welcome to Oldale Town!" chimed Nurse Joy as she walked in with a Chansey at her heels.

"Hello Nurse Joy," greeted Isis.

"Come in," said Nurse Joy. "You don't have to stand on the door mat you know. Make yourselves comfortable for the night. Do you want me to heal your pokémon while you are here?"

"Yes, thank you," replied Isis, handing her two poké-balls. "But I'm warning you, my Baltoy is really energetic."

Nurse Joy smiled. "I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle."

Chansey had waddled behind the counter and brought out a tray that was shaped a bit like an egg carton, with six holes to hold the poké-balls. Nurse Joy set Isis's pokémon on the tray and Chansey walked to the back.

"Your pokémon are in good hands, Miss," said Nurse Joy, brightly.

"It's Isis."

"And what about you?" Nurse Joy turned to Kaiba.

"My name is Kaiba, and no thanks," he replied, crossing his arms. There was no way he was going to turn his Blue-Eyes over to someone he had just met.

"But surely after traveling all the way here your pokémon need to recover their strength," insisted Nurse Joy. She was surprised. All trainers jumped at the chance to let their pokémon recover in a center.

"They're fine," said Seto, coldly. "No thanks."

Nurse Joy shrugged off the cold reply with a genuine smile and gestured to a door in the back right corner. "The dorms are through their, girls on the left side of the hall, boys on the right." With that she left through the door in the back left corner to take care of her new patients.

"Thank you," replied Isis. "Sleeping in a real bed is going to feel so good, and I think I'm going to turn in early." She started to walk back to the door that the pokémon nurse gestured to, then she looked over her shoulder. "What about you?"

"No," Kaiba replied. "I have some things to do."

"This late?" asked Isis. She looked like she was going to say more, but stopped and disappeared into the ladies' dorm.

Left alone in the lobby of the Poké-Center, Kaiba looked around the room a moment. Besides the three doors and front desk, there were two couches on either wall. He walked over to one of these and pulled out the poké-dex Prof. Birch had given him and began to examine it again, trying to glean what he could from the programmed encyclopedias. His pride would not let him continue to know nothing about this world.

It was approaching midnight and Seto Kaiba was still flipping through the poké-dex, learning more about the strange creatures that inhabited this world. He was starting to get a bit tired, but he was used to working late hours at Kaiba Corp. What final distracted him was a noise from the back of the center.

Kaiba looked up from his work, not sure of exactly what he heard. He didn't move for a moment, trying to hear it again. He did. It sounded half like a shuffle, half like branches on siding. He shoved the dex back into his pocket and headed towards where he guessed the source of the noise to be.

He paused at the door that Nurse Joy had left through when he heard the sound again. This time he could also hear a low murmur of voices. His blue eyes narrowed and he opened to door a crack. There was nothing but hallway on the other side, but he could hear the traces of conversation coming from one room about fifteen feet down the hall.

Seto crossed to the other side of the hallway and pressed close to the wall. He cautiously peered into the room. Judging by the stacks of boxes, he assumed it was a storage room. Two dark figures were standing by the window, helping a third climb in. The third was on the chubby side and having a hard time managing the midnight entry. One of the remaining figures was a teenage girl, the other a teenage boy. They wore similar clothing, though it was hard to make out without any light. They all wore red hooded sweatshirts with short sleeves and a distorted M on the front. The hoods were pulled up, which had fake pokémon ears sewn on them. The guys both wore a pair of baggy black slacks, and the girl wore a knee-length black skirt. They all wore black boots with red leggings and black gloves with red trim. Kaiba disliked them instantly.

He ducked back so the couldn't see him. He could tell they were breaking and entering, though not knowing the planet, he didn't know why. That didn't stop Kaiba from taking action. He silently pulled the door shut and pressed the button on the outside, locking them in. The grunts didn't even notice, because at that moment their fat friend squeezed through the window and landed rather ungracefully on the ground.

_"I need to tell someone,"_ thought Seto as he strolled away. Since Nurse Joy was clearly the authority here, he set off to find her. Then he realized he had no idea where to start.

But just as he walked through the door that led back to the lobby, someone collided with him. They both fell to the floor hard.

"Will you watch it?!" growled Kaiba. The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"S-sorry…" stammered Isis as she picked herself up. She looked embarrassed by her mistake, but also spooked about something. Kaiba instantly felt guilty about snapping at her, though he would never admit it.

"What happened?" he asked.

"It's Team Aqua!" she exclaimed, but quietly. "I heard noises coming from the room beside mine and looked in. Team Aqua was prying open the window!"

"Who?" asked Kaiba.

(AN/ Authoress license taken.)

"Team Aqua!" Isis exclaimed. Kaiba replied with a blank look. "Oh, that's right, you haven't been in the league long." She took a deep breath to calm down. "The Hoenn league had three gangs that like to cause trouble: Team Aqua, Team Magma, and Team Typhoon. No one knows why they do anything, but whatever it is, it is bad. I think Team Aqua is here to steal the pokémon!"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "We can't let that happen."

"I know! We have to find Nurse Joy!" exclaimed Isis. With that she hurried through the door, into the hallway Kaiba had just left.

"Wait!" called Kaiba, stopping her.

There was pounding coming from the door Kaiba had locked.

"What's this?" asked Isis, looking at it.

"I locked them in there," replied Seto, icily.

"Who?"

"I don't know who they are, but they were climbing in through the window. They all are wearing red and black uniforms."

Isis gasped, her eyes going wide. "That's Team Magma! Oh no, oh no, oh no. Team Aqua and Team Magma are both here! We need to call Officer Jenny."

"I saw a phone on the front desk," said Kaiba.

Isis nodded and hurried back through the door to the lobby. Kaiba followed at after an apprehensive glance at the locked door. The wood around the handle was splintering and he knew it wouldn't hold them much longer.

Isis had just picked up the phone when all the lights in the center went out.

"They cut the power!" she gasped. "The phones don't work!"

CRASH! The glass windows in front of the center shattered as a jagged rock was thrown through them. Someone on the outside pushed the remaining glass fragments aside and climbed into the center.

He was wearing a green jumper with a distorted T on the front. Under the jumper he wore a black shirt. A green bandana was tied around his neck. He had gloves that went up to his elbows, which were green as well with black trim. In the dark, he did not see the two trainers by the front desk. He turned back to the window and helped a teenage girl through. She wore a similar uniform, save her jumper was a skirt, not a set of pants.

"It's Team Typhoon!" Isis gasped, horrified. "I can't believe it!"

"Do these groups of punks always work together like this?" asked Kaiba.

Isis shook her head and whispered back, "They hate each other. We're not safe here!"

"Then let's go," said Kaiba. "We can slip out the back door before Team Magma break free, but we have to hurry!"

I can't leave my pokémon!" protested Isis. She turned and hurried to the back rooms of the center. Kaiba hesitated, then followed. They were still unnoticed by Team Typhoon.

That didn't last long. Isis rounded a corner and temporarily disappeared from sight. In that moment Kaiba heard her and someone else screaming.

Surprised and fearing the worse, he hurried around the corner. Isis had once again collided with someone. She and Nurse Joy were both picking themselves up off of the ground.

"Nurse Joy!" exclaimed Isis.

"You two need to get out of here!" exclaimed Nurse Joy, looking over her shoulder. Kaiba followed her eyes. Three people rounded the corner, clearly after the pokémon nurse.

Kaiba deduced that this had to be Team Aqua. The guy and two girls both wore similar shirts, black and white horizontal stripes. The only difference was the girls' showed off their navels. The pants they wore were royal blue with white circles on the outer side seam. Even the girls wore pants. They all wore short black gloves and a royal blue bandana with a distorted A on the middle.

"We can't go that way," Isis said, pointing where she had Seto had come from. "Team Typhoon is in the lobby!"

"Oh no!" gasped Nurse Joy.

"And Team Magma is in the other hall," added Kaiba.

"My pokémon! Are they okay?" asked Isis.

"I locked the room the patients were in, and Team Aqua wants the key," replied Nurse Joy, holding the key up.

"Don't move!" demanded the male Aqua grunt. "Lotad!" His pokémon appeared in front of him in a flash of light. It looked like a type of navy newt with a lily pad implant on its back. "Lotad! Vine Whip! Tie her up!"

"Lotad!" the pokémon agreed. In a flash long vines shot out from under the lily pad and tied up Nurse Joy.

"Nurse Joy!" gasped the trainers.

"Now hand over the key!" demanded the Aqua grunts.

"Take it," she told them, holding it out.

Isis hesitated only a moment, then grabbed it.

"Run for it!" yelled Nurse Joy as Team Aqua walked towards them.

Isis nodded and grabbed Kaiba's arm. He looked ready to start a first fight with the ocean gang.

"Come on!" said Isis as she pulled him away.

"Stop there!" ordered Team Aqua. They ran.

They made it back into the lobby, which Team Typhoon was still entering. The trainers did not stop.

"You there!" called one of the Team Typhoon grunts who noticed them.

"It's Team Aqua!" exclaimed another one when the pursuers entered.

"Not Typhoon!" gasped one of the girl Aqua grunts. "We're going to need back up!"

The rival gangs got so distracted by each other's presence that Kaiba and Isis made it to the opposite hallway without being waylaid. Team Magma was still pounding on the door Kaiba had locked them behind.

"We have to hurry and get help," said Isis. "I hope the no one is by the back door, it should be our best guess."

CRASH! As they raced passed the store room the door exploded outward and Team Magma joined the fray.

"Oh no!" gasped Isis.

"Halt!" ordered the Team Magma grunt who spotted them first. Listening as well as they did for Team Aqua, the trainers ran.

"There! The back door!" exclaimed Isis as they turned another corner.

A few steps later Seto Kaiba threw open the back door and they hurried into the darkness of night. They thought they had escaped the dangers. They were wrong.

Behind the center gang warfare was breaking out. The rest of Team Aqua, Magma, and Typhoon had assembled to launch their raid on the center. They had realized that their archrivals would be there, and now that rivalry was manifesting itself in its worst form.

Pokémon battles were taking place on every available inch of land. Flames lit the night, water sprayed everywhere, strong winds whipped around everyone. Low growling from various pokémon was heard. People yelling, cheering, and barking orders added to the general chaos.

Kaiba and Isis stood there a moment, unnoticed, gawking.

"This is bad…" they muttered.

"How do we get out of this?" Isis asked. For a moment her eyes flashed with something that looked like pure anger, but that was only a quick, unnoticed moment.

They were noticed before Kaiba could answer.

"You two! Freeze!" ordered a Typhoon grunt.

"What do you think you're doing?!" demanded an Aqua grunt. "These two will be our prisoners!"

"Guess again, pond scum," spat a Magma grunt, walking over. "The only ones who will be gaining anything from this is Team Magma!"

"Dream on soot-for-brains!" spat the Typhoon grunt.

"You have the nerve to insult my intelligence, bird brain?!"

"You're just full of hot air!" snapped the Magma grunt.

"This is amusing," smirked Kaiba. Isis looked at him like he was crazy. "Come on, we can slip away while they are distracted."

But the two had not taken more than a step when the grunts noticed them.

"Stop right there!" the three yelled.

"You're mine!" exclaimed the Magma grunt, throwing a poké-ball.

"For Team Typhoon!"

"You won't escape Team Magma!"

FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! Three Mightyena appeared.

"Ugh, not again," groaned Kaiba as the Mightyena closed in.

"What are we going to do?" asked Isis, who sounded a bit panicky. "I don't have my pokémon! I can't fight! And my pokémon would never be strong enough to take on all the trainers here…"

"Fight?" echoed Kaiba. He smirked. He had done enough studying of pokémon battles, and now it was time to put that knowledge to the test. Nothing could be a better learning experience than seeing something in action, that was what he had learned through Battle City. Kaiba pulled a poké-ball out of his jacket pocket.

"Look! He's going to fight!" laughed the Typhoon grunt.

"It doesn't matter what pokémon you have, you will never stop Team Aqua!"

"You'll be pulverized, but Team Magma will rule supreme!"

Kaiba laugh as he threw his poké-ball. "Meet my Blue-Eyes!"

"EEAARRRGGHHHHH!" with a bellow his favorite Duel Monster appeared in flesh and blood. It was easily the largest creature present. The entire battlefield went completely still at its appearance.

"What is that thing?!" gasped someone.

Isis was wide-eyed as well. "What pokémon is that?"

Kaiba didn't answer her. "Finish them all, Blue-Eyes! White Lightning!"

"RREEAAGHHHH!!!" bellowed the Blue-Eyes, White Dragon as it pulled its head back. Thunder cracked from its jaw for a moment before the dragon released it, instantly knocking out all of the battle-weary pokémon from all the gangs. The various teams could do nothing but gape for a moment.

"Anyone else want to test the might of my dragon?" asked Kaiba, cocky.

The order was passed quickly enough: Retreat! The various forces withdrew as fast as their legs could carry them.

Kaiba was smirking broadly. "There's nothing that can take down my Blue-Eyes."

Isis was still shocked. "I've never seen a pokémon like that before."

Kaiba turned to her. "My Blue-Eyes, White Dragon is one of a kind."

"It's enormous…" Isis replied. "But I don't think you should have done that."

"Done what?"

"Let Team Typhoon, Aqua, and Magma know you have a pokémon that rare," answered Isis. "They're not going to leave you alone now."

"What do you mean?"

"They are nothing but thieves, and they love to steal rare and powerful pokémon. You and your dragon will be a target now."

"They'll never beat me," replied Seto, confidently.

"Don't get cocky, they won't play fairly," warned Isis.


	7. Outwit

It was midday the next day, and Kaiba and Isis were on their way to the next town. After the triple attack on the poké-center in Oldale Town, Kaiba was less than thrilled by the thought of staying there any longer. Isis agreed, and suggested that they head to the next, nearest city, Petalburg City. Kaiba merely shrugged at the suggestion, not having any plans himself, and let her lead the way. But now, after her non-stop questions about his pokémon, he was beginning to wish he had set out alone.

"But where did you ever manage to find a pokémon as rare as that dragon?" Isis asked for the dozenth time that day. "It's not in any of the poké-dexes, I don't think even Prof. Oak, Birch, or Elm knows about it! How did you manage to find it?"

Kaiba again shrugged. He knew well that she would not believe him if he told her about his experience with Jirachi, Mew, and Celebi again. And he didn't know enough about this world to make up a convincing lie. He covered his lack of knowledge by pretending to be more interested in the surrounding forest.

Isis didn't take the hint. "Not to mention you were actually able to capture it! I haven't seen many, if any, pokémon that are that strong! How is it possible? How did you battle it?"

Kaiba's face was slowly turning into a scowl, which was quite common. "The Blue-Eyes, White Dragon is mine, always had been, always will be."

Isis's mist-grey eyes locked on him a moment, trying to judge him by his expression. His expression did shift slightly towards a blank, unreadable look. There was an uneasy silence before Isis resumed her third degree.

"I wonder if your dragon is a legendary," she said. "But that doesn't make any sense. I do not know of any legends about it, and a pokémon cannot be a legendary pokémon if it does not have legends about it. Does that mean your dragon is an undiscovered type?"

"Seems like it," he answered, vaguely.

"Were you the one to give it that name, Blue-Eyes, White Dragon?" asked Isis.

"That's its name, why would I call it anything else?" he answered, coldly and now more clearly irritated.

"It sounds more like a description than a name," stated Isis. Kaiba gave her a look so harsh she knew she needed to say something to sooth it over. "Have you given your dragon a nickname?"

"What?" he asked, a bit confused.

"You know, a nickname," said Isis. "I know quite a few trainers who do not like calling their pokémon by their specie name, so they give them nicknames instead. I don't, but some trainers do."

Seto nodded, having zoned her out halfway through her explanation.

Isis took this as a sign that he had heard her and continued. "Maybe we can think of one now. What gender is your dragon?"

"Huh?"

"You know, is it a boy or a girl?" asked Isis. Again Kaiba shrugged. Isis groaned. "You didn't check your dex to see your pokemon's gender after you caught it? Fine, let me." She pulled out her poké-dex and opened it. "Can you release your…Blue-Eyes."

Kaiba said nothing, but he reached inside his trench coat and pulled out the poké-ball containing his favorite Duel Monster. He tossed it into the air and the Blue-Eyes, White Dragon popped out with a loud roar in a swirl of light. Kaiba continued to ignore Isis and walked over, stroking his dragon's neck.

"Female," said Isis, checking one of the scanners on her dex. "Your dragon is a girl."

"Fine," replied Kaiba, not really paying any attention to her.

"Have you ever considered letting Prof. Birch study your Blue-Eyes?" asked Isis, again stumbling over what she thought was an odd pokémon name. "I am sure he'd love the chance to study a new specie of pokémon. Who knows, he might even find a legend connected with her, though I don't know of any."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. He held up the poké-ball and the Blue-Eyes vanished inside. He then turned sharply around, glaring down Isis with full force. "No one, and I mean no one is going to get close to my Blue-Eyes but me. **No one**."

"No need to get mean about it," she replied, trying to act like his attitude didn't faze her. She continued walking, walking past him without making eye contact. Kaiba continued his gaze of daggers at her back for a long moment before continuing, solely because he had no idea where to go. He was more than ready to set out on his own, especially after all her questions, but he did not know the way.

"Do you trust anyone?" Isis asked, after several long minutes of silence.

"I trust myself," he answered, still coldly, still not looking her in the eyes. Then something in the back of his mind put two and two together. It was the connection between the three pokémon that brought him to this world and the word "legend" Isis had frequently used this day. "What is all this talk about pokémon in legends?"

Isis again looked him over in disbelief. She could tell he was smart, but the lack of knowledge he had on such common things often baffled her. "There are many legends concerning pokémon, and pokémon and people. Many pokémon are mentioned only in these ancient legends, and we do not know if they exist at all, if they ever existed, or if they still exist. These pokémon are always very powerful, and have earned the title 'legendary pokémon.' Your dragon seems to fit most of these traits."

"And you seem to know a lot about these legends." Kaiba groaned, forgetting the follow-up question he had in mind. "Please tell me your family is not rooted in tradition, spends its time studying these legends, and still does coming-of-age rituals."

Isis blinked a few times, clearly not expecting him to say something like this. Seto couldn't tell if she was surprised from the nature of the question or the potential accuracy of it. He didn't know if this young lady had a similar story to the one she looked so much like from his world, Ishizu.

"Never mind," Kaiba groaned again. "I don't want to know."

"You're…weird," she finally said.

Kaiba let out a small, harsh breath of air. He had been trying so hard to deny all the magic and 'weirdness' that always appeared when Yu-Gi Motou was around. And now, despite that, he still ended up with the label of 'weird.'

Another long, awkward silence followed, in which Kaiba was considering how to strike out on his own again. Isis, on the other hand, was trying to figure out some of the mysteries about her new travel companion.

"Why are we heading to this city instead of any other?" asked Seto, breaking the silence. "And can we be sure that those gangs won't bother us here?"

"Petalburg City is much larger than Oldale Town," explained Isis. "We can hide in the crowd. Plus, Petalburg City has its own pokémon gym."

Kaiba glanced over at her, again completely puzzled. The phrase 'pokémon gym' gave him the mental image of some kind of fitness center, with weights and exercise machines designed for the creatures of this world. He had no idea why that would be interesting place to visit.

Isis continued, not seeing his baffled look. "I suppose I should start working on my badges, since I came all the way here. I never did mange to collect all eight badges in Johto, so I…" She trailed off, and Kaiba didn't really care.

Seto Kaiba was having his own problems, trying to figure out what she was talking about. A gym with connections to badges? He couldn't make any sense of it. He was about to ask her, but stopped. She spoke so casually of it, he assumed the topic was common knowledge. His pride prevented him from asking and looking like an idiot.

"Are you sure it's safe from those punks who broke in the other night?" asked Seto, fingering the poké-balls in his pocket.

"No where is entirely safe," Isis answered. "But in…"

"She's right about that!" laughed a voice off of the trees.

"Who's there?!" demanded Seto Kaiba, instantly on guard.

Two figures stepped out from behind a large oak tree in front of them. Both were wearing the Team Typhoon uniform. One was a guy with spiky dark hair and a wicked smirk. His eyes were just as dark as his hair, and sparkled with danger. The other was a girl with wavy turquoise hair and a coy grin. Her emerald eyes flickered mischievously. The girl was a few inches shorter than the guy, but they looked the same height because of the heels she was wearing.

"Team Typhoon!" gasped Isis, backing up.

"Don't worry yourself too much," said the guy. "You're not our target, girlie. We've come for the dragon." Both turned their gaze on Seto, who opened his mouth to reply, but got cut off.

"Dream on, bird brains," spat a voice from directly behind them.

Isis and Kaiba wheeled around. Two Magma grunts walked up. The guy had flaming red hair in a ponytail with an orange streak down both sides by his temple. He wore a pair of shades, but was looking over them with dark ruby red eyes at Team Typhoon. The girl had long black hair, the color of soot. It was tied in two ponytails, which were wound together like a loaf of friendship bread. She looked a bit bored by the whole situation.

"Magma!" growled the Typhoon girl.

"Is this the best Team Typhoon has to send?" asked the Magma girl. "Zephyr and Gust, right?" She gestured to the girl first, then the guy. "Two bunglers if there ever was." Both Magma grunts smirked at the insult.

"Grrr! We cornered them first!" growled the Typhoon guy, Gust. "That rare dragon is ours!"

Two more laughs broke the last traces of tranquility in the forest.

"It can't be!" gasped the four new comers.

Stepping out of the treeline to the left was two Aqua grunts. They stood shoulder to shoulder, both about the same height. The girl had her short hair slight curled into two swooshes around her ears. It was a shade lighter than navy. The guy had white hair with overly long bangs that hung in front of his pale, pale blue eyes. A large dangling silver earring was in his right ear.

The girl from Magma locked eyes with the guy from Aqua.

"Ocyen?!" she gasped.

"Flare?!" he exclaimed.

They both continued to stare at each other a moment longer before huffily crossing their arms and sticking their noses into the air, turning away from the target of their stare.

"Flare, you know him?" the Magma guy asked his teammate.

"No! Not at all!" she said, trying to hide a massive sweat-drop.

Likewise, the girl on Aqua was eyeing up her teammate, though she said nothing.

"Grrr! Do we have to keep running into each other like this?!" growled the girl on Typhoon, Zephyr.

"You're all nothing but a bunch of copycats," shot the girl on Aqua.

She turned to Kaiba and Isis. They had backed up a bit, away from all three sets. Isis was behind Seto, thus no one saw her hands, which were clenched into tight fists. Kaiba's most vicious scowl had returned, his poké-balls concealed in his hand. He was calculating the situation, deciding the value of summoning his dragons now or waiting.

"Hand it over," the Aqua girl demanded.

"No way," replied Kaiba in one of his coldest tones.

"Kelp-heads!" shot the Magma guy. "That dragon is going to be ours!"

"It's none of yours so take a hike!" shouted Seto.

"Vulpix!"

"Slugma!"

"Wingull!"

"Lotad!"

"Spearow!"

"Taillow!"

That one comment spurred the launch of the first pokémon.

Isis countered without thinking. "Sandshrew! Baltoy!"

All eight pokémon appeared and instantly accessing the situation, prepared for a battle.

"You chose the hard way?" smirked the Magma guy. "This ought to be fun."

"Your pathetic ground types don't stand a chance against our water types," gloated the Aqua guy, Ocyen.

"The dragon is clearly the only pokémon worth our time here," grumbled the Typhoon guy, Gust.

Isis's eyes flickered with deep anger, but before she could respond, Kaiba did. He had been on the edge of summoning both of his dragons, but a better idea hit him.

"You idiots do realize that there's only one dragon you're all after," he said. His lips turned upward into a smirk. "So who gets it?"

"That's us!" exclaimed Zephyr. "We were here first!"

"You're so full of hot air!" snapped Ocyen. "We're going to take that pokémon straight to the boss!"

"Cool off, water-brat!" retorted the Magma guy. "Anyone who knows anything knows that a pokémon that rare and powerful belongs in the hands of Team Magma!"

"Yeah right, lava-head!" snapped Gust. "We were here first, it's ours!"

"You'll have to get passed us first!" growled the Magma girl, Flare.

"You think your fire types are a threat to us?!" laughed the Aqua girl. "We'll wash you up and hang you out to dry!"

"We'll turn you pathetic squirt guns into steam!" shouted the Magma guy.

"Forget them, we'll blow you all away!" exclaimed Zephyr.

"GRRR!!!! ATTACK!" ordered six voices at once. Vulpix, Slugma, Wingull, Lotad, Spearow, and Taillow charged into a huge free-for-all battle.

Kaiba grabbed Isis by her elbow. "Get your pokémon and come on!" he hissed.

Isis nodded, a bit confused, recalled her pokémon, and followed him into the forest on the right hand side. No one noticed their departure.

"W-what the…?" started Isis, frequently looking back over her shoulder.

"There's never a need to outfight anything you can outwit," Kaiba answered. "Come on, let's get some distance between us and them in the rare case that they all grow a brain."


	8. Petalburg Gym and Hyozanryu

Gema's Personal Disclaimer: I'm putting this in front of every chapter I write, so no one can miss it.

First, the obvious, I don't own anything trademarked or copyrighted.

Second; These are my fics, so y'all will have to deal with my writing quirks. Do not bother telling me about my spelling choices, like Yu-Gi, Joe, Millennial, or whatever else they may be. These are not mistakes, they are intentional. Therefore, I don't want to hear about how they are other wise spelled. If spelling bothers you that much, then leave.

I, and everyone else, do not appreciate personal attacks. My fics are what are open to being critized, not my character. Attacking me is libel, and I will report it as harassment.

I will not include profanity in my writings. Deal with it. Also, I do not appreciate profanity in reviews, so please don't include it. There's over 600,000 words in the English language. I am sure y'all can use something besides profanity.

Some review etiquette should be observed. As says at the bottom of each review page "It is extremely helpful to use this opportunity to comment on an aspect of the story that can be improved. A well rounded critique is often the most rewarding tool for the writer." I would appreciate constructive reviews. "Please continue" is not very helpful. Reviews that are solely demands for updates or explanations about a lack of updates are not helpful. And please, use recognizable grammar when reviewing. A review isn't very helpful if I can't read it.

Please check my bio from time to time. If I am on vacation or something and cannot update, that will be in the first few lines of my bio. I'll try to let y'all know if there's an update delay, so please check.

Feel free to contact me either through IM or e-mail, that information is in my bio as well.

Now, most of you aren't the problem, but this is for the few that are. This might come across as crabby, and I'm not really like this, but I've been pushed to my limit because of certain reviews.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Petalburg extended below the two travel-worn trainers. It was considerably larger than Oldale Town, but more beautiful. The residents had put a lot of work into their flowerbeds and gardens. Things were growing everywhere. The town seemed peaceful though, and it was surrounded on most sides by the forest. However, Seto Kaiba could catch the faintest traces of salt in the air, meaning they were close to the coast.

"It seems peaceful, meaning there's no sign of Team Aqua, Magma, or Typhoon," commented Isis, contentedly.

"Hrmph," muttered Seto, noncommittally.

Isis looked him over through the corner of her eye. "We can either head to the Poké-Center or the Gym first, and then we're going to need to buy supplies for our trip to Rustburo."

Kaiba again nodded. He wasn't in the mood to talk much and he didn't want to give away how little he still knew about this strange world. He could sense Isis trying to figure him out, he had often felt her blue-grey eyes on the back of his neck. It didn't concern him too much, though. There was no way she'd ever figure out and accept the truth.

Isis started down the road into Petalburg, and Kaiba followed after her. The streets were narrow, and every possible edge was landscaped. They stuck to the main streets, Kaiba letting Isis do the hard work of finding the Poké-Center while he kept his eyes open, observing everything he could.

After a few moments of walking, an unusual building caused Isis to stop and gasp slightly. The building was another architectural marvel, though those seemed much more common in this world than Seto's. The building was slanted, but as it grew closer to the ground it curved, making the east wall round, like a bulge. It was painted blue with yellow and red framing, making it look more like a dollhouse than an actual building. Also, like the rest of the town, several large flowerbeds and similar landscaping surrounded the grounds.

"It's the Petalburg Gym!" exclaimed Isis under her breath.

"This is a gym?" asked Seto, highly skeptical and raising an eyebrow. It hardly looked like the place he imagined; where creatures of this world developed their strength through physical training.

"I wonder what type of pokémon the gym leader uses," Isis said, more like she was thinking out-loud than conversing. "I hope my Baltoy and Sandshrew can do well, but I'm still not familiar with all the pokémon in this league—they could have some powerful special abilities. And what if—"

Kaiba had tuned her out the moment she got to the word "type". He had no idea what she was muttering about anyways. He walked over to the large set of glass doors on the building and entered. He held the door open and looked back at her. Isis had a slight expression of surprise at his rudeness.

"Are you coming or not?" he asked, impatiently. "There's only one way to figure out those answers."

Isis's eyes narrowed on him, but Kaiba hardly noticed. He had already finished entering the building. She let out a small breath of protest and followed him in.

The outer appearance of the building could not have prepared Seto for what he saw inside. After a small hallway he entered a large arena. Isis quickly caught up with him as he stopped to take it all in. The roof was slanted, proving that the building was basically this huge room. There was a large skylight in the roof, which Kaiba hadn't noticed from the outside. The walls to his left and right were covered with bleachers, which had been collapsed close to the wall. The arena itself was about the size of a soccer field. White paint marked the lines. There was a circular pattern in the center which reminded Kaiba of a poké-ball. At either end of the field a box was painted on the ground. There was one person in each box at the moment.

What they were doing was a hundred times more interesting than the arena itself. In the arena each had summoned a pokémon Kaiba had never seen before, though he vaguely recalled seeing them during his scans with the poké-dex. The two pokémon were fighting each other, while the two trainers shouted out orders. It was a very intense battle, and Kaiba watched it without blinking.

"Hurry Butterfree!" shouted the one on the right. "Use Sleep Powder!"

"Dodge it, Vigoroth!" exclaimed the one on the left. "Slash!"

A large butterfly creature fluttered through the air with something that looked like pollen falling from its wings. The other one was white and furry with long limbs, though Seto found it hard to match with any animal he knew.

The white pokémon, Vigoroth, dove under the cloud that had formed beneath the bug type pokémon. Butterfree flapped higher, trying to find its opponent in the cloud of powder it had created. Without warning, Vigoroth attacked from beneath, clawing at the Butterfree. The insect was sent spiraling to the ground where it struggled to take flight again.

"Finish it, Vigoroth!" ordered the left trainer. "Fury Swipes!"

"Viiiggoorrr!" shrieked Vigoroth as it once more clawed at Butterfree. The insect slid across the field and collapsed, not even trying to get up.

"Butterfree is unable to battle!" announced a priorly unnoticed guy at the opposite side in the middle of the arena. "Vigoroth is the winner!"

"No!" protested the right trainer, running to his pokémon. He quickly checked Butterfree over, before recalling it back to its poké-ball.

"That was a good battle, I hope to see you back again when you have trained some more," said the left trainer, walking to meet his opponent. The opponent merely nodded, before hurrying out of the gym, running right pass the two spectators without even noticing them.

"He's so strong," commented Isis, watching the remaining trainer. "I didn't think Petalburg had a gym leader _this_ strong. I don't think my pokémon could compare yet."

"Hrmph," muttered Kaiba, noncommittally. Although, that battle had given him great insight to the true purpose of the gym.

"Oh, hello, I didn't see you enter," greeted the gym leader, walking over to them.

"Hello," replied Isis, warmly. "That was a very impressive battle."

"Thank you. My name is Norman, and as you've probably guessed, I'm the gym leader here at the Petalburg Gym," replied Norman.

"I'm Isis and this is Kaiba," answered Isis, with another 'hrmph' from Kaiba. "We're trainers from the Johto league."

"Heh, I've been seeing a lot of foreign trainers here lately," said Norman, gesturing to the guy who had just left. "It seems the challenge of a new league is too much for many trainers to pass up. I'm sure you two are both here to challenge me."

"Well—I was thinking about it, but I'm not sure if my pokémon are strong enough after seeing your match," said Isis, a little hesitantly.

"A wise choice," replied Norman, still has friendly as ever. "I have a rule in my gym. I won't accept challenges from anyone with less than four badges. It's for the pokémons' sake, though many trainers see it as a blow to their pride."

"Oh…yes, I see," said Isis. "And that is very wise of you as well. Though neither of us have a badge, we just arrived in Hoenn recently."

"I'm sure you'll win some badges soon. I look forward to your return," stated Norman. "I'm sure it will be a good battle."

Isis nodded. "Y-yes…well, good-bye."

"Wait a minute," said Kaiba, taking one step forward. "Are you saying my dragons aren't worth your time all because of some 'badge'?"

"It's gym policy, I'm sure you understand, so don't think of it as anything personal," replied Norman, jovially.

Kaiba's eyes started to burn with blue fire. He saw this as someone labeling him 'weak'; a label he refused to accept for himself or his monsters. He knew he knew little about how battles were fought in this world, but he was still more than confident that he could easily win against any pokémon with his Blue-Eyes, White Dragon.

"My dragons don't need a dumb badge to measure their strength," growled Kaiba. "I know they're more than you can handle."

"Kaiba!" protested Isis.

"Calm down," said Norman, trying to resolve this peacefully. "I'm sorry, but those are the rules." Both of Kaiba's hands had tightened into fists.

"It's time for us to leave," insisted Isis, starting to tug on his arm so that he'd take the hint.

Kaiba stood firmly as ever, his blue eyes locked on Norman. His pride was roaring inside of him. He was used to being the strongest, and now this stranger had classed him in one of the lowest categories possible. It was hard for him not to let his ego take the hit.

It was tense for a long moment while Kaiba glared down Norman, who looked as friendly as ever. Isis thought for a moment her companion was about to do something unpredictably dangerous. At long length Kaiba gave in to her gentle tug and turned away from Norman. He walked out of the gym, his trench coat ruffling behind him as he walked. Isis let go of a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and quickly followed after him.

They left the Petalburg gym and entered the peaceful beauty of the sunlit streets. Isis felt more relieved than she thought she would. She looked over at Kaiba, but he still seemed very tense. She searched her mind for something to say to relax the tension, but nothing came to her.

Kaiba started walking down the street, his back to the gym.

"Wait!" protested Isis, hurrying to catch up with him. "What was that about? You can't insult a gym leader like that!"

"He's not worth my time," glowered Kaiba. "That fool can't understand what the real power of my dragons is about."

"You're so full of yourself!" snapped Isis, glaring viciously at him. Kaiba stopped, turned around, and glared back at her.

"Hey! You!" a new voice interrupted Kaiba's response to her, which was probably for the best.

"What?" both of them asked the newcomer, somewhat nastily. Both sets of eyes turned to look at him. It was the challenger who lost to Norman.

"I've been watching you two," he smirked. "I can't believe I lost to Norman, but beating you two rookies will be no challenge at all."

"You'll be forced to eat those words," glowered Kaiba, crossing his arms.

"We don't need your cheek," said Isis, still sounding angry, but not nearly as rude as Seto. "Leave us and bother someone else."

"No can do, I challenge either of you to a battle!" exclaimed the trainer. "The quicker I beat you losers, the quicker I can re-challenge Norman!"

"You're on!" accepted Kaiba. "I need to work out some extra energy anyways."

"Hehehe, this battle won't take long," smirked the trainer, fingering a poké-ball lightly.

"My thoughts exactly," replied Kaiba, smirking arrogantly right back. Isis groaned.

"Masquerain!" shouted the trainer, throwing his poké-ball. In a bright flash of light a moth-like pokémon formed. It had a large set of brown wings patterned to resemble eyes. Its main body was shaped like an unusual teardrop and colored sky blue.

"Masquerain," said a small computer voice behind Kaiba. Isis had pulled out her own poké-dex. "It's antennas have eye-like patterns that usually give it an angry look. If the 'eyes' are droopy and appear sad, it is said to be a sign that a heavy rainfall is on its way."

"What a weak creature," gloated Kaiba. "I don't even need to use my Blue-Eyes, White Dragon to beat it."

"Shut-up and battle!" snapped his opponent.

"Hyozanryu!" declared Kaiba, releasing his second dragon. With a loud roar Hyozanryu appeared. It was longer than the Blue-Eyes, but not nearly as tall. It was crystal white, with long wings. The wings' inside look like they were golden. Hyozanryu also had a golden crop and horns. Its scales sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight. Kaiba's opponent could only gape at the monster in front of him.

Kaiba smirked. "Give up already?"

"Never! Masquerain, Agility!" shouted the trainer.

The moth-like pokémon began to fly rapidly around the field, too fast for the eye to follow. Kaiba hardly seemed fazed by this. He merely crossed his arms and waited. Hyozanryu's long head kept glancing around the field, trying to pin exactly where Masquerain was, but it was too fast to follow.

"Wait for it to come to you," Kaiba said, calmly and arrogantly. The dragon seemed to relax a bit at this line.

"You bore me!" snapped the trainer. "Bubblebeam!"

Masquerain came to a stop above and to the left of Hyozanryu. It released a rapid stream of bubbles. Each connected with the dragon, causing a small explosion of water. However, Hyozanryu's diamond hard scales prevented it from feeling any real pain at all. Now, the dragon looked slightly bored while Kaiba looked extremely amused.

"I hardly expected more from a bug," retorted Kaiba. "You're on the same level as Weevil."

"You haven't won yet!" snapped his opponent. "You haven't even attacked!"

"You want me too? Have it your way," responded Kaiba. "Hyozanryu, Diamond Crusher!"

With a flick of its tail, Hyozanryu sent Masquerain flying the entire length of the field where it crashed into the ground, leaving a long gouge in the ground. Masquerain struggled and slowly took to the air again.

"Im-impossible," stammered the other trainer, one eye twitching slightly. "I won't lose like this! Butterfree!" He called his second pokémon, the same one which had lost to Norman and had been recently healed in the Poké-Center. "Double Team!"

Both insects flew rapidly around the field, leaving images of themselves everywhere, looking like they had multiplied across the field. Hyozanryu looked around in confusion, unsure where its true opponents were.

"Don't let their cheap trick confuse you," said Kaiba. "Wait for them to reveal themselves."

"You're no true trainer!" fumed his opponent. "You have no strategy, you just rely on power!" Kaiba smirked, but said nothing, further enraging his opponent.

"I'll show you!" snapped the trainer. "Butterfree, Whirlwind! Masquerain, Water Sport! Combine your attacks!" Both insects stopped their dance around the field. Butterfree started flapping its wings rapidly, while Masquerain added a powerful pulse of water. They quickly created a mini waterspout.

"There they are!" exclaimed Kaiba. "Diamond Crusher!"

Hyozanryu never gave its opponents a chance to finish their attack. With another swing of its tail both were embedded in the ground at their trainer's feet. The trainer's eye twitched slightly and he stood gaping in shock for a long moment. He quickly recalled them and hurried away.

Kaiba smirked at his back as he left. He walked across the makeshift field and placed one hand on Hyozanryu, rubbing the hard scales.

Isis had been watching the whole thing with extremely wide eyes, ever since the moment Hyozanryu was released onto the field. She was so shocked she could not say a word, even to protest the opponent's action of two versus one.

"_Another unknown dragon…"_ she thought, dazed. _"Could he be…?"_


	9. Petalburg Forest

Gema's Personal Disclaimer: I'm putting this in front of every chapter I write, so no one can miss it.

First, the obvious, I don't own anything trademarked or copyrighted.

Second; These are my fics, so y'all will have to deal with my writing quirks. Do not bother telling me about my spelling choices, like Yu-Gi, Joe, Millennial, or whatever else they may be. These are not mistakes, they are intentional. Therefore, I don't want to hear about how they are other wise spelled. If spelling bothers you that much, then leave.

I, and everyone else, do not appreciate personal attacks. My fics are what are open to being critized, not my character. Attacking me is libel, and I will report it as harassment.

I will not include profanity in my writings. Deal with it. Also, I do not appreciate profanity in reviews, so please don't include it. There's over 600,000 words in the English language. I am sure y'all can use something besides profanity.

Some review etiquette should be observed. As says at the bottom of each review page "It is extremely helpful to use this opportunity to comment on an aspect of the story that can be improved. A well rounded critique is often the most rewarding tool for the writer." I would appreciate constructive reviews. "Please continue" is not very helpful. Reviews that are solely demands for updates or explanations about a lack of updates are not helpful. And please, use recognizable grammar when reviewing. A review isn't very helpful if I can't read it.

Please check my bio from time to time. If I am on vacation or something and cannot update, that will be in the first few lines of my bio. I'll try to let y'all know if there's an update delay, so please check.

Feel free to contact me either through IM or e-mail, that information is in my bio as well.

Now, most of you aren't the problem, but this is for the few that are. This might come across as crabby, and I'm not really like this, but I've been pushed to my limit because of certain reviews.

x-x-x-x-x-x

AN/ For those who play Mystery Dungeon, I have a Mystery Dungeon fic on link is in my bio.

Seto Kaiba stood, looking down at the small, clear creek. The surrounding Petalburg Forest was still asleep as dawn had not yet broken. Behind him Isis was sleeping with Baltoy and Sandshrew curled up under her arms. His Blue-Eyes, White Dragon and Hyozanryu were also sprawled out across their make-shift campsite. The whole area was silent except for the sounds of heaving breathing. Dark shadows spread across everything because the thick foliage blocked out the stars.

However, Kaiba was unable to remain asleep any longer. Sleep had been filled with strange dreams. A familiar woman's voice had been patiently calling him forward, urging him to continue. But when he woke the name of the speaker vanished from his mind. He replayed her words over and over in his mind, trying to draw out any clues that would help explain the situation.

"_I'm waiting to meet you. Please come. We have much to do before darkness falls,"_ she had said.

Kaiba place a hand on his head, trying to clear the images from his mind. He glanced down at the stream, seeing reflecting images in it. From the angle that he was at, he could just see his own silhouette and the sleeping forms of his two dragons, especially the Blue-Eyes, White Dragon which was closer. A slight breeze rippled the water, changing the shapes. Before Kaiba could stop it, his mind slid into memory.

The reflection of the Blue-Eyes, White Dragon shifted into a large stone tablet with its image carved on it. He could feel the hot Egyptian sun on the back of his neck as he knelt in front of the tablet. There was new weight in his arms and he looked down. He was holding the body of a young girl with white hair. His throat tightened as he gazed at her; it was getting hard to breathe.

"Kisara..." he managed to choke out.

The first rays of the sun distorted the images on the stream, shattering the flow of the memories. Kaiba gasped as he pulled himself away, freaked out over how real that vision had been. He turned from the water, letting the cool air ruffle his hair and sweat-soaked neck.

After taking several deep breaths he walked back to his Blue-Eyes, White Dragon. He gently rubbed the hard scales, being careful not to wake the sleeping dragon. The early rays illuminated the scales, showing the image of the white-haired girl again. This time she was alive. She looked at him with bright blue eyes and smiled before he ripped his gaze away.

"What's...happening?" Kaiba gasped, clutching his head. He gritted his teeth as he mustered all of his will to force every one of those thoughts aside.

Isis had awakened slightly and watched him through cracked-open eyes. She couldn't see what he saw, but she still felt disturbed as she watched him stumble around. As he stroked his Blue-Eyes, White Dragon she couldn't help but mentally recite a story that her parents had passed down to her. However, the details didn't completely add up. She bit her tongue and decided to watch in silence as the events unfolded.

x-x-x-x-x-x

"Finish it, Sandshrew! Scratch!" ordered Isis.

Sandshrew charged the orange worm pokémon with a set of claws raised. Kaiba remembered that pokémon was called a Wurmple from his times researching with his poké-dex. It was weak and clearly not worth their time. However, Isis had insisted on stopping and fighting it. He grumbled out of impatience as he watched, not understanding why battling with pokémon had any important at all.

Wurmple flew into a tree trunk, slid to the ground, and twitched. Sandshrew shouted its name and scurried over tree roots and into Isis's outstretched arms. She hugged her pokémon tightly, cheering with it.

"What was the point of that?" complained Kaiba.

Isis looked up at him as she recalled Sandshrew into her poké-ball, repressing an exasperated sigh. "Do you have any aspirations to make your pokémon stronger or do you just take their strength for granted?"

"What are you talking about?" retorted Kaiba.

"Making your pokémon stronger through battling and training," answered Isis with a hint of frustration. The afternoon sun cast shadows from the leaves across her face, giving her a dark look.

"Great..." groaned Kaiba. "This world works like an RPG..." He words caused Isis to stop in mid-step, but Kaiba continued without even looking back.

He stepped around a pile of bramble, the thorny limbs snagging on his trench coat. As he continued it pulled free but also made him more disgruntled. Even though his clothing was clearly not designed for traveling, his pride refused to let him consider changing or even removing the coat. Isis had noticed this as well but help her tongue.

Despite her patient nature, Kaiba's attitude was beginning to grate on her final nerves. She watched his back, counting backward from ten to calm herself down. She resumed walking slowly, keeping a small distance behind him so she wouldn't have to face his attitude or questions.

"Are you coming?" asked Kaiba, noticing the sound of a second set of footsteps had fallen away from his. His primary concern for keeping Isis with him was that he still had no sense of geography in this world. Without her, he had no idea where he was or where he should go. He turned his head slightly, catching her expression in his peripheral vision. "If you have something to say, say it."

"You're treating pokémon as objects of power," she couldn't help but accuse. "Even though your dragons are strong, you still need to work with them as partners and friends."

"Is that all?" stated Kaiba, coldly, once she had finished.

Isis could not read his expression and that only irked her more. She scowled at him another moment before she resumed walking. They were silent as tension sparked like static between them. A wandering Shroomish crossed their path and instantly fled when it saw their demeanors.

Kaiba fought against himself for a long while. He didn't want to be dependent on Isis's knowledge of this world, but that was still better than looking like a fool without it. "What's the city we're heading for like?"

Isis glanced at him, remembering that he was new to the league. "Rustburo City is one of the largest cities in Hoenn. It's the location of Devon Corp., the most elite pokémon academy, and many other prosperous businesses. Devon is the single greatest provider of pokémon supplies in this league. That has often made it the target of raids from Teams Aqua, Magma, and Typhoon. A gym leader named Roxanne operates there as well. Because of its location on the coast, many trainers new to the league or starting trainers native to the league start there."

Kaiba huffed slightly, remembering the two encounters with the pokémon gangs. He quickly mentally replayed those times, measuring their potential threat and motivation. However, he still lacked knowledge of the world to put the pieces together. As he thought and walked, nervous bug pokémon peered out from the leaves at him. His boots made it difficult for him to bend his ankles to step over a fallen tree. His thoughts and the setting only caused an increasing bitterness at the entire world.

"Those people—Aqua, Magma, and Typhoon—what do they want?" asked Kaiba.

Isis answered after a pause, "I can't say for sure, but they're not like Team Rocket. However, they seem to be obsessed with the environment; earth, sky, and sea respectively."

"They're environmentalists?" asked Kaiba with disdain.

"I don't think they have the best intentions for the environment though. Team Magma wants to expand the land masses while Team Aqua wants to raise the levels of the seas. Team Typhoon wishes to increase air travel and hovercrafts to move civilization into the sky as well as controlling weather patterns."

Kaiba stopped short and looked at her with complete disbelief, "That is absurd."

Isis paused as well, thinking a moment. "Yes...I suppose it is. But they are serious and cause endless trouble because of it."

Kaiba shook his head out of general disgust and continued walking. This world left a bitter taste in his mouth and increased his desire to return to his own. It was going on a week and he dreaded to think what could have happened to Kaiba Corp. or his brother. Mokuba was his biggest concern and Seto knew that he had to be worried because of his disappearance.

"Is everything okay?" asked Isis when she noticed his expression.

"I'm fine," Kaiba retorted, shortly.

"I answered your questions. Now I want you to answer mine," pressed Isis.

Seto Kaiba didn't verbally reply to her. He repressed a groan and turned his head slightly so that she couldn't see him rolling his eyes. She didn't pick up on this or else chose to ignore it and continued speaking after she ducked under a low hanging branch.

"Where did you find your dragons? How did you catch them?" she asked.

"I already told you," replied Kaiba. "The Blue-Eyes, White Dragon especially is mine and mine alone. Always has been and always will be." For a moment, he saw the smiling face of the white-haired girl.

"_That's too ambiguous. I need to know more to find out if he's the one from the legend. But I can't let him know that I suspect,"_ thought Isis. She discreetly looked Kaiba over again, considering another approach.

"Where did you say you came from again?" asked Isis.

Kaiba's next step came with hesitation and he quickly remembered the story that Prof. Birch unintentionally came up with for him. "Johto."

"Where in Johto?"

Kaiba cringed, covering his uncertainty by ducking under a low branch as he walked. A hard limb grabbed at his boot when he stepped on it, causing his feet more discomfort. However, he barely noticed this because he was frantically trying to come up with the name of a city. None came, so he did the only thing he could do. He answered with the truth.

"Domino City."

"Domino City? I've never heard of it," commented Isis. "It must be small. What gym is it nearest?"

A large, winged shadow flew over them, saving Kaiba from answering. A moth the size of a pillow swooped down over them, causing them to duck. It irregularly flapped around branches and disappeared above the canopy. Kaiba spun and watched it, holding it against the world that insects were so disproportional in size.

"Dustox," Isis's poké-dex recited. "It is a nocturnal pokémon that flies from fields and mountains to the attraction of streetlights at night. It looses highly toxic powder from its wings."

"I'm surprised to see a Dustox out during daylight hours," commented Isis.

"I don't care," muttered Seto as he straightened his coat. Fortunately, she didn't hear him.

"How much longer are we going to be stuck in these woods?" asked Kaiba, intentionally and completely getting Isis off of her original topic.

"It shouldn't be long," Isis replied after a moment of thought.

A fresh breeze ruffled through their hair and clothing, causing Isis to perk up. She hurried ahead of Kaiba, bushing shrubs and low hanging limbs aside. One nearly hit him as it recoiled. He then kept his distance as she was nearly engulfed by the greenery. She reappeared a bit later with a slight smile, holding some bushes apart.

"I told you it wouldn't be long," she said. "There's Rustburo City."


	10. Rustburo City

Gema's Personal Disclaimer: I'm putting this in front of every chapter I write, so no one can miss it.

First, the obvious, I don't own anything trademarked or copyrighted.

Second; These are my fics, so y'all will have to deal with my writing quirks. Do not bother telling me about my spelling choices, like Yu-Gi, Joe, Millennial, or whatever else they may be. These are not mistakes, they are intentional. Therefore, I don't want to hear about how they are other wise spelled. If spelling bothers you that much, then leave.

I, and everyone else, do not appreciate personal attacks. My fics are what are open to being critized, not my character. Attacking me is libel, and I will report it as harassment.

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Some review etiquette should be observed. As says at the bottom of each review page "It is extremely helpful to use this opportunity to comment on an aspect of the story that can be improved. A well rounded critique is often the most rewarding tool for the writer." I would appreciate constructive reviews. "Please continue" is not very helpful. Reviews that are solely demands for updates or explanations about a lack of updates are not helpful. And please, use recognizable grammar when reviewing. A review isn't very helpful if I can't read it.

Please check my bio from time to time. If I am on vacation or something and cannot update, that will be in the first few lines of my bio. I'll try to let y'all know if there's an update delay, so please check.

Feel free to contact me either through IM or e-mail, that information is in my bio as well.

Now, most of you aren't the problem, but this is for the few that are. This might come across as crabby, and I'm not really like this, but I've been pushed to my limit because of certain reviews.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Rustburo City was a large city, although it wasn't nearly as big as Domino City, which Kaiba held against the Poké-World. It was mostly slate grey in color, with rather plain skyscrapers rising around him and Isis. Compared to the fast-moving crowds of Domino, Rustburo felt rather empty. There was considerably less cars and general traffic; most people walked, some followed by Pokémon. Kaiba noticed the school and companies that Isis had mentioned and wondered what they even mattered to him. As they passed a fountain at an intersection, Kaiba's thoughts slowly drifted back to resentment at being launched into such a foreign world with seemingly no purpose. Isis occasionally tried to engage him in conversation but for the most part he was unresponsive.

The sun was shining brightly overhead, only a few puffy clouds threatened to block it. The bell from the nearby academy rang and children seemed to appear out of nowhere, running all across the street. Kaiba and Isis instinctively walked closer to the stone walls of the buildings to avoid being swept up in the mob. The alleyways to their left were narrow and dark compared to everything surrounding them. Kaiba slowed his pace, once more discreetly letting Isis lead. However, once they passed the brick school building he stopped short because of a very faint sound that he heard somewhere around them.

"What is it?" asked Isis, turning around when she realized that he wasn't with her any more.

"You didn't hear that?" Kaiba asked in return.

Her blank look was the only answer that he needed.

Isis had just opened her mouth to ask something else, but Seto Kaiba brushed around her coldly. His back was to her before her sharp frown once more showed on her face. He hurried ahead several yards until he was even with the next alleyway. He had almost walked by it, but movement from something red caught his eye, causing him to stop a moment and look.

Kaiba's view was mostly obstructed by a dumpster that was closer, but even in the shadows he instantly recognized the small cluster of people wearing Team Magma uniforms. Whatever they were focused on was hidden on the other side of the dumpster. But whatever that thing was, the odds weren't good for it. He told himself that the only reason he was bothering was because all of the grief Team Magma had already caused him. Without even waiting for Isis he strolled down the alleyway with all the confidence as the Duel Monster's champion. Despite the closeness of the buildings, he was confidence his dragons could destroy any attempts of a fight Team Magma could attempt to put up.

"_Blue-Eyes, White Dragon is clearly superior to any of these Pokémon,"_ Kaiba thought, not for the first time.

"Team Magma!" Isis gasped behind him once she entered the alley and saw the setting for herself.

As Kaiba approached he could hear parts of the conversation between the grunts and a young girl who was still outside of his line of vision.

"You've got no where to run to! So hand over that Pokémon!" barked one of the magma guys.

"Just leave me alone," the girl hastily said.

Kaiba was already stepping forward to intervene, anger hidden beneath the surface. Because of that, he didn't notice immediately that there was something about her voice that sounded familiar. Isis followed in his footsteps, just as eager to stop the confrontation.

"No can do, girly," sneered the second Magma guy. He reached down and plucked a Poké-ball off of his belt, leaning slightly forward to look more menacing.

"I said go away!" she snapped.

By that time, Kaiba and Isis had made it over to the fight. It was two rather burly grunts from Team Magma against a slightly younger girl. The grunts were nearly indistinguishable since both of their faces were mostly hid by the hood of their uniforms. They both took a similar stance, showing their brawn over their brain.

In contrast, the girl they had cornered was on the tall side but thin which made her seem to shrink in the presence of the grunts. Her curly brown hair had slid over her face, making her look truly afraid. Despite the black canine Pokémon in a harness-style leash by her side, Kaiba instantly recognized her.

"Shayla?!" he gasped, stopping short.

(AN/ Shayla is my Yu-Gi-Oh! OC and you can read about her in my Shayla's Story series. For this fic, Seto Kaiba knows her from those fics. But don't worry all newcomers, I'm going to make this easy for you to join right in.)

"You know her?" asked Isis.

She never got her question answered because Kaiba's cry alerted the two grunts to their presence. They turned in unison and sneered at Kaiba and Isis. However, neither of them backed down an inch from the intimidation acts. The Magma grunts eyed them up disdainfully as unworthy prey.

"Mind your own business!" the first one sneered. "This doesn't concern you!"

"If you're going to be hurting innocent people that does concern us!" Isis said sharply.

"Do as they said, mind your own business," the girl who had been cornered coldly shot, catching Kaiba completely off-guard.

"_Shayla had never spoke so nasty before..."_ he noted. Nonetheless, that didn't sway his intentions one bit to intervene.

"Excuse me?" asked Isis, who also seemed to be taken back by her rudeness.

"I'm fine on my own!" she retorted, causing the Magma guys to snicker and continue posturing.

"But...aren't you blind?" asked Isis, sounding slightly stunned.

The girl went silent for a moment, her brown hair sliding away from her face to show that she was wearing a pair of thick sunglasses. That combined with the canine on a harness was enough signal to anyone that she couldn't see, although Seto Kaiba did wonder briefly if Isis suspected this because of her connection to Ishizu back in his own world. Her hands tightened into fists beneath the long flared sleeves of her blue peasant blouse. The grunts noticed her tension which only amused them more.

"You can't possibly hope to stop us, even combined!" mocked the second grunt. "Go, Poochyena!" He threw his Poké-ball and the grey-black canine that Kaiba had first encountered in the Pokémon World appeared. Kaiba quickly visually compared it to the one that stood in front of Shayla, but there were several major differences, including the orange fur under its neck. Following the cue, the first grunt also released his Poochyena.

"Come on," stated Isis, pursing her lips together. She already had her fingers around her own Poké-ball.

"I said stay out of this," hissed the blind girl as she bent down and unclipped the handle of the harness from her Pokémon, allowing it to move freely.

"You expect to battle us when you can't see?!" the second grunt nearly roared with laughter. "Bite it now, Poochyena!"

"Follow it up with Tackle!" added the first grunt.

"Houndour, use Smog and blind them!" ordered Shayla.

Her Pokémon charged forward ready to meet the other two Poochyena head on. The Poochyena showed their sharp fangs, but her Houndour opened its mouth and spewed smoke first, covering the entire alleyway in a thick, dank smog. Most everyone present began to cough and gag, losing sight of the battle in progress.

"No wondered...they're after her," coughed Isis. "Houndour is a fire type...which is what Team Magma is obsessed with..."

"_Fire...Houndour..."_ Kaiba made a mental note to research it later, shielding his blue eyes from the harsh smoke.

"Don't give them a chance," Shayla said, her head lowered as she focused through hearing with all your might. "Be relentless and finish them with Ember!"

Through the haze Kaiba saw some flashes of fire before both Poochyena were thrown into the brick wall, scorched. The grunts from Team Magma gaped in silent surprise for a long moment before recalling their Pokémon at the same moment.

"This isn't the last you'll see of us!" threatened the first grunt.

"As if you'll see anything!" shot the second as they both ran out of the alleyway as fast as they could, shoving Kaiba and Isis aside as they did.

As the smog slowly lifted Kaiba could see her kneeling with tense shoulders re-attaching the handle to the harness of her Houndour, who waited patiently, sitting on the extra fabric of her flared jeans, as she did so. Isis seemed upset too as she made her way to the blind girl.

"Are you okay?" she asked, trying to sound gentle despite her irritation.

"Fine," she answered shortly.

"Shayla...what's going on here?" asked Kaiba, joining them.

She stood and tightly gripped the handle, facing him with a dark expression, "It's _Shelia_."

"So you do know each other?" asked Isis.

"No," retorted Shelia. "Neither of you sound familiar at all. Now, excuse me..." On an invisible signal her Houndour started forward, leading her right between them and towards the main street, carefully avoiding the dumpsters and miscellaneous trash that littered the alley.

"_She looks and sounds just like Shayla...but her attitude, her actions...Shayla never acted like this,"_ Kaiba contemplated, once more trying to figure out the world he was stuck in.

"I thought you knew her..." said Isis, stepping beside Kaiba as they watched Shelia leave.

"So did I..." muttered Kaiba.

Isis cleared her throat and called, "Are you sure you're okay? Team Magma was just after you."

"I'm fine," Shelia replied without turning around. She then entered the main street and vanished from sight.

Kaiba watched her leave, irritated by her attitude and his own confusion. Isis seemed equally put off, but primarily by her rudeness. His pride urged him into action first, and Kaiba started forward, out of the alleyway. Despite knowing the blind girl as Shayla from his world, he now had no intention of following her.

"Come on, let's go," he said in such a way that it was clearly an order.

Isis frowned behind his back yet again and followed, shaking her head slightly out of his sight.

x-x-x-x-x

"This is the Rustburo City Gym," announced Isis as the two of them stood in front of the widest building on that street.

The gym had a domed, rust-colored roof that was similarly shaped to the one in Petalburg. However, the building matched the slate color of the rest of the city. As they approached the steps, Kaiba noticed several other smaller difference. A red building labeled as "Pokémon Academy" was connected to the right side of the gym. Also, beside the main entrance was a large statue of the Ester Island Head.

"That makes sense," said Isis, stopping a moment to note the statue. "I believe Roxanne uses rock-type Pokémon."

Kaiba couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Roxanne uses rock-types. That's as unoriginal as Weevil using bugs." He stepped passed Isis and the doors opened automatically. He could feel the slightly cooler breeze from the air conditioning waft passed him. He could feel Isis's eyes boring into the back of his neck as she joined him, but he chose to ignore it.

They stepped into the large arena. The ground seemed to be solid rock with rocky pillars and outcroppings scattered across its surface. Despite its bumpiness, the stadium lines had been freshly chalked in. To the right a set of bleachers had been unfolded away from the wall and a couple dozen little kids squirmed as they sat there.

A girl who looked younger than the two of them stood in front of the children, giving some sort of lecture. She wore a uniform that clearly resembled the Japanese school uniforms. Her dark hair was tied back into loops and she was so wrapped up in her lecture that she didn't even notice their arrival.

"We must have come during a class," said Isis in a soft voice.

"Class?" echoed Kaiba

Isis nodded. "Roxanne also teaches at the Pokémon Academy next door. She uses her gym as a format to teach lessons about battling and strategy to future trainers."

Before Kaiba could comment, Roxanne turned around to gesture to the arena for emphasis in her lecture. This caused her to turn around and notice him and Isis still standing close to the entrance. For a moment she looked surprised, but she quickly composed herself.

"Are either of you challengers?" she asked.

"Yes, we both are," Isis answered for the two of them. This caused Kaiba to raise an eyebrow at her, but he didn't press the issue. The children in the stands instantly perked up and began paying genuine attention.

Roxanne smiled. "You have perfect timing then. I was just explaining to my students the importance of training for a gym battle. I hope you can both help me with a proper demonstration."

"It would be an honor," Isis answered with a small smile.

"Then will you please take your place at the opposite side of the field?" asked Roxanne. Without waiting to see if they would move, she turned back to her students and gave a brief impromptu speech to set up the battle for them.

Kaiba followed Isis over to the challenger's side, wondering silently what the purpose of this battle was. He had no desire to prove himself by defeating a teacher and could see nothing he'd gain by doing so. He was also confident that his dragons could easily defeat any challenge, so the thought about battling someone like Roxanne bored him.

"These battles will be a single Pokémon versus a single Pokémon," announced a referee once all three of them were in their places.

"Good. I only need one," Kaiba loudly stated. His fingers were already wrapped around the Poké-ball of his Blue-Eyes, White Dragon.

"Kaiba...you should know that..." Isis tried to warn him, but he cut her off.

"I don't need your help," he shot under his breath. She frowned sharply, once more forcing herself to be patient with him.

"Who will I be facing first?" asked Roxanne, speaking loudly so her voice could carry across the arena.

Isis deliberately stepped around Seto Kaiba to irk him like he irked her. She didn't even turn her head to look at him, although she knew he was scowling at her. For a brief moment she wondered if he would push the issue, but still she continued.

"I'll be your first challenger," stated Isis.

"Very well. I warn you, I won't hold back," replied Roxanne. "Go, Nosepass!"

She threw her Poké-ball about a quarter of the way across the arena where it opened with a small explosion of light. The Pokémon that emerged was slate grey and appeared to be a garden sized version of the Easter Island Head Statues.

Kaiba blinked in surprise and forced him mouth to remain shut. Her Pokémon looked ridiculous and almost inanimate. _"A stupid rock is an insult for my dragons to face,"_ he thought bitterly. However, he remained quiet and decided to use Isis as his visual guinea pig. He would watch her battle and see what their opponent could do. That would completely ensure his victory.

"And I chose Sandshrew," said Isis with surprising calm for the upcoming battle. As she spoke, she released her Pokémon from its Poké-ball. Both faced each other in the battlefield, eyes locked on the other, unmoving.

"Let this match begin!" declared the referee.

"_Moves like Scratch and Fury Swipes won't help here,"_ thought Isis as she hurried to come up with a mental strategy.

"I'm not holding back, so hit me with everything you have!" challenged Roxanne. "Nosepass, use Rock Tomb!"

Although her Pokémon hardly moved, everything around it seemed to. Kaiba could feel tugs along the metal studs in his jacket and quickly deduced some type of magnetic field had been activated. The rocky arena began to shake as if an earthquake was starting. The pebbles bounced around and the boulders danced. Within a few seconds, jagged rocky pillars erupted from the ground, getting closer and closer to Sandshrew. Both Isis and her Pokémon looked panicked as the pillars encircled Sandshrew.

"Sandshrew, Dig!" Isis called over the rumbling rocks. As the rocks closed in on her Pokémon to pull it underground and entomb it, Sandshrew started digging rapidly, hiding the effects of the two attacks in a small dust cloud.

"_Pokémon can do all that?"_ Kaiba couldn't help but gape at the arena.

"Keep digging!" Isis ordered, a strategy finally forming in her mind.

"Protect!" called Roxanne.

Her Pokémon tottered backward, the air around it shimmering. A moment later in an explosion of dirt Sandshrew popped out of the ground directly in front of it, nearly causing the Nosepass to fall into the hole it had just dug.

"Class, I hope you're watching closely!" called Roxanne. "After this I want you to all write an essay about the usefulness of Protect."

There was groans and unhappy muttering from her students who were all still sitting in the bleachers, watching the fight anxiously. They exchanged looks briefly about their new assignment, but the fight quickly captivated them again.

Roxanne had ordered her Pokémon to attack again, and once more it was levitating the rocks in the arena around, trying to crush Isis's Pokémon. Her Sandshrew tried to dodge as they pounded in from every angle. In a moment of apparent desperation, on her word her Pokémon started digging again, vanishing underground.

"You can't keep hiding forever!" Roxanne criticized.

"We're not hiding!" countered Isis, a smirk flickering across her face. "Finish this now, Sandshrew!"

Her Pokémon jumped out of the ground almost immediately in front of her, looking dusty and winded but proud. There was a moment of stillness. Then, before Roxanne could finish articulating her next command, the entire arena imploded into a giant crater, taking Nosepass down with it. A thick, dusty haze hung over the air, completely obstructing all vision across the field.

"Nosepass is unable to battle! The challenger is the winner!" declared the referee as soon as he could see enough to make a judgment.

Roxanne looked down at her Pokémon in surprise a moment before recalling it, then finally spoke at length, "Well done, using Dig to trap my Pokémon. I am quite impressed. You definitely deserve this badge."

Both women walked around the arena and met halfway. Isis offered her hand for a handshake before accepting her Stone Badge. They exchanged a brief conversation outside of the range of Kaiba's hearing before returning to their respective sides of the field. Roxanne stopped for a moment in front of her class, lecturing on various points of the battle. Once she had returned, Kaiba stepped forward without a word.

"_This is a joke for my dragons. But regardless, it will show this world my strength! No one messes with Seto Kaiba!"_ he thought, still bitter about his sudden arrival in this world to begin with.

"My Nosepass might be unable to battle right now, but my other Pokémon are no lightweights either!" called Roxanne. "You'll still have to keep your guard up if you want to win!" She then plucked a second Poké-ball off of her belt.

"I doubt that..." muttered Kaiba. Isis shot him a sideways look, but kept her lips pressed tightly together as she congratulated her Pokémon.

"Go, Geodude!" called Roxanne. The boulder with arms did little to impress Kaiba.

"Blue-Eyes, White Dragon!" shouted Kaiba, his massive dragon appearing in a flash of light.

There was exclamations of surprise and awe from every corner of the gym, causing Kaiba to secretly smirk. Even Roxanne seemed to be totally taken off guard. Her mouth hung open slightly as she stared at his dragon. The Blue-Eyes bellowed the moment it appeared, shaking the foundations, causing even more surprise and alarm.

"This won't last long, I only need one attack," boasted Kaiba while Roxanne stood in shock. "Blue-Eyes, White Lightning!"

While Roxanne was still too stunned to give an order to her Pokémon, Kaiba's dragon fired a massive beam of heat and thunder. The attack totally engulfed the cratered field, Roxanne's Geodude, and continued on passed the field until it shot out of a window, sending glass everywhere. Once again, the loose dirt on the field turned into dust and clouded everyone's sight of the result of the attack.

"It's over," Kaiba said to no one in particular.

"Look!" exclaimed Isis.

Geodude was still standing—or sitting, it was hard to tell with that Pokémon—in the middle of the field. Its arms were crossed defensively in front of itself and not a scratch remained on it. For once, Kaiba couldn't prevent his jaw from dropping.

"Class," started Roxanne. "What's happens when you use an electric attack against a ground-type Pokémon?"

"Nothing!" they all chimed in unison.

"That's right," agreed Roxanne. "It's beginner's knowledge that ground-types are completely immune to any and all electric attacks."

Kaiba's mind was slowing as he heard this, _"My...White Lightning...won't work?! It's...just a pebble! How?! How can it survive an attack from my dragons?!"_ His thoughts hit a wall hard when he realized he knew no other orders to give to his Blue-Eyes, White Dragon.

Both his dragon and Roxanne's Geodude waited in the arena, sizing each other up. However, neither moved a muscle to attack the other, they both waited intently for the orders from their trainers. Unfortunately for the Blue-Eyes, Kaiba was in too much shock to even speak.

"Rock Tomb!" ordered Roxanne.

"Geoooo!" bellowed her Pokémon. It buried its fists into the ground, which immediately began to shake and quiver. Long, sharp pillars rose out of the ground intent on impaling whatever was above it.

"_It...won't end like this,"_ thought Kaiba as he fervently searched his mind for any strategy, any potential way to fight back. His blue eyes widened as he realized that he knew nothing about this world, about Pokémon that could help him. It was his own failing.

"T-Tail Whip!" ordered Kaiba, remembering back to one of his earliest nights in the Pokémon World.

The Blue-Eyes, White Dragon obeyed perfectly. She swung her massive tail and wiped out an enormous rocky pillar, sending the pieces cascading to the ground. However, it was too little, too late. Geodude had nearly a dozen other pillars surrounding the dragon. They tore at her wings and neck. Then, when they were at their highest and without any further warning they collapsed around the Blue-Eyes, White Dragon, burying her beneath tons of rock and boulders. She collapsed with a bellow, her eyes pressed tightly shut in pain.

"_KISARA!"_ a voice in the back of Kaiba's head shouted. His feet wanted to run to her, but his eyelid twitched and shock held him fast.

He didn't hear the referee declare his lost or Roxanne's compliments and lecture to her students or Isis's "I told you so." When he could finally move his feet he walked numbly over to his dragon and stroked her scales lightly.

As he recalled her into her Poké-ball, blue ice sparked in his eyes. Her clenched both hands into tight fists and set is jaw rigid. He spun on his heel, his coat fluttering behind his ankles. He walked stiffly right passed Isis without even acknowledging her presence.

"Are...you okay?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Don't follow me," he said so sharply she didn't even consider disobeying.

No one seemed to notice as he left, bringing an icy chill in his wake. He stepped into the bright light outside of the gym and continued down the street purposefully, knowing exactly what he had to do.

x-x-x-x-x

It was passed dark when he arrived back at the Pokémon Center. Everyone else had long since fallen asleep, even Isis, who was asleep on one of the lobby couches having waited for him as long as she could. He carried the shopping bags he had quietly, not waking her. After a long glance to make sure she didn't stir, Kaiba walked over to the opposite side of the center's lobby and spread his stuff across two couches and a table and started unpacking.

He quickly set aside several articles of clothing, a shoulder bag that looked more like a laptop case, and a new pair of boots. From the bottom of a bag he pulled out a large, single volume encyclopedia. Then, he dug into his pockets and pulled out the Poké-Dex that Prof Birch had given him.

"_This world will not beat me! I'll show them all the power of Seto Kaiba!"_ he thought as he began flipping through entries. He quickly hurried towards the N to look up Nosepass, but along the way the word Houndour caught his eye. As he read article after article, listening to the Poké-Dex to supplement the sun began to rise before his resolve even let him continue sleep as a potential option.


End file.
